Equilibrium
by Flameraven1
Summary: Light has no meaning without dark, good has no point without evil. If the all worlds are forced into blance how will the darkness cope now that the DD's have won?
1. ch 1

Ok, here we go. This is my first story so it might not have the polish I would like but hay. Its going to have a lot the first two shows, some talk of the first DD's, now they most likely are not who I have them as being and I did make up one and his digimon but this is a FF so I can get away with it right?  
  
Also I'm warning you all now that I'm LD and have slight dyslexia so I AM going to have some grammar mistakes from misreading the spell check, and my punctuation might not be all that good, all of the time. I'd like it if you would send me an e-mail with my mistakes if they get to much to handle and I'll repost the chapter with it fixed, I know its inconvenient but its one of the few ways I can fix things because no matter how many times I reread my work I'm never going to catch all of it all of the time, thank you.  
  
-Flameraven  
  
I don't own Digimon if I did I would have made damn sure that Sora and Mat never got together in the first place. But if you plan of suing me I've got to give you notice your about a month too late I just had to put a new brake system on my car and now I'm broke. *long suffering sigh* now on with my story, have fun I am.  
  
Chapter one.  
  
It has been said that all evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Well I did nothing, and evil lost, so what does that say about me?  
  
At nineteen I'm the oldest of the Digidestined. I was the first and I may well be the last. I've been here since the first battle with Apocalimon, oh so long ago, it feels like centuries and it just might have been. Time in the digital world used to go much faster then it does now, the secant wave of destined changed that but I've been here so long now. Yet I'm still only nineteen. Oh well life isn't all that bad really, but still the question of just what side am I on, keeps nagging at me.  
  
I saw the little Japanese kid from my group of destined go nuts and try to take over one of my worlds. A world that I had sworn to protect soon after he had gone back home with the other two little ones. I still think of them like that even though they are... what? Fifteen or sixteen now? No they can't be that old, could they? No, they must only be fourteen or so.  
  
They were my kids, my responsibility, the sad part was I even had the goggles, what the heck is up with that? Every leader of the destined has worn goggles why Davies got them instead of TK I'll never know but as Tai was the one who gave them up it is understandable for him to think that a dumber version of himself would be leader. That sounds like something he would jump to... and then there was the fact that both TK and Kari shouldn't have been able to do any more then the other "Old school" destined... heh, I had almost forgotten that they call themselves the original Digidestined, I'm the only one who can set them striate, although I think Gennai tried once.  
  
The last two waves have met my whole team, well all of them but myself of course. I doubt even my own kids remember me now, time would have made sure of that. I remember though, I'll always remember. There was only the four of us that first time, all boys no girls, I found that to be a relief as I doubt I would have kept my sanity if we had been a mixed group.  
  
We made an odd team as it was. A kind little Japanese boy with a large caterpillar. A little blond boy from the mid-west who seemed like fates plaything. Who had two, for lack of a better description, half-dog, half rabbits. A little rich kid with a large frog-like thing who was far too noble for his own good. And finely me, the kid from the wrong side of the tracks who had survived only by the grace of God, with my snake.  
  
Michael is still in NY, just as noble as ever, and is now friends with the 2nd groups Mimi. Honor and sincerity in the same town, kind of funny really. 'Course she is with Joe, Mr. Reliability himself, I like that pairing. Its kinda like spider-man, the nerd gets the hot chick, its poetic. Willis is also in NY now, but seeing as its summer he's most likely back out in Colorado in that summer home of his. Seems like everyone of my group is rich but me, oh well. Ken, the one who I watched go evil, was the kind one of us. He kept me in check back in our day. Now he is part the third wave, like Kari and TK who were with the 2nd.  
  
I almost got involved when that all went down, I was about to. Seeing as even he couldn't have stopped serpentmon's digivolution, I still have my crest after all, it would have been funny to see the look on the "Emperor's" face when he tried to stop it and nothing happened though. But I was stuck as an observer once again with the addition of the two angels to the third wave. There was no way I could risk getting involved then. HE was the reason I didn't help the first time and once SHE came back with them there was nothing I could do.  
  
Our kind don't mix well, or so I'm told. I'm a demon and they are angels. I long to be like them but will never be worthy of it. Now don't think that I'm just being poetic, or that I hate myself or anything like that. I'm a destined and as such our partners shape who we are and vice versa. The angel in them would have never trusted me, well TK wouldn't have been able to, I'm a bit too much like a part of himself that he hates, and Kari... well that would have been rather uncomfortable. Standing close to her light could well destroy me, or at the very lest change me.  
  
Willis is still fates plaything, but with the crest of destiny what can you expect? He went through a tough time a little while back, and the fact that I knew nothing about it till much later bothers me. I can't help feeling like I could have and should have done something to help. But then what could I have done? I can't get my partner to mega and I'm sure that Tai and Matt would have thought I was a bad guy had I sent in serpentmon's champion or ultimate forms, not to mention the fact that we would have gotten out ass handed to us, that damn thing beat up on mega's for God's sake, it took a super mega just to take him down... but still I know I should have done something!  
  
And now a storm is coming, one of those mean ones that you can smell is on the way but can't see. I know something big is about to go down, something the likes of which I've never seen and I've seen it all. From a creature made from failed digivolutions too a super monkey too a full blown demon too a crazy vampire. None of them have felt like this though. The evil in the air is so think I can almost taste it. and I'm quite sure that its not going to be nearly as easy to spot this time. The darkness is not going to be evil, for darkness never is in and its self evil, I should know I am dark or at the very lest shadowy.  
  
But again I must ask myself what side am I on? I've stood back and let the new blood fight and bleed and almost die and I've just watched. If all evil needs to win is for good men to do nothing then how has it lost if I'm a good man?  
  
Looking down at my crest, that of a rainbow on a gray field, I come to the realization that I'm not a good man. I am only a man trying to do a little good, and with that I gather the remade crests and set out to see if I could make one team from three. All the while wondering how in the world I'm going to keep the ones who need to DNA digivolve ether out of the fight or at the very lest, alive once the fighting begins. 


	2. ch 2

Don't own Digimon I'm an teenaged American so I never really had the chance...  
  
Chapter two.  
  
Ah the real world, I've been gone almost three days now. Since the time flow matched up I've had to come home often to keep Dad from worrying, not that he really would. I'm pretty sure that if I didn't come home for a month or two he wouldn't even know I was gone till I came back.  
  
We don't talk much sense mom died, not that we ever did. We love each other but two guys in a house by themselves really don't have much to talk about. His work is way over my head and I'm not all that into golf. Besides we are both introverted by nature and find it easier not to talk. My sister, Catherine, is in Colorado working on a horse ranch out there.  
  
I hate long car trips but it looks like I'm going to have to take one vary soon, tell dad I'm going out there to see her and stop off at Willis' to try and recruit him. It should be easiest with him seeing that he is the only destined out there. I just hope his digimon remember me or it's going to take a lot of explaining. Serpentmon doesn't really inspire all that much in the way of trust with other digimon for some reason.  
  
His crest might be helping me out though, I mean my big sis is only about a three hour ride from were he is. I hope it is, having destiny on my side will make getting the others a little easier, I hope. I really don't like planes and to make matters worse I don't know a word of Japanese, yes that's the real reason I'm going after Willis first, Guess Michael and Mimi should be my next targets, why couldn't he have just stayed in NY, hell I'm in DC is not that far away for me.  
  
Getting on-line I check out Izzy's "chosen" web sight. They seem to call themselves that in Japan, odd. Nothing new but Willis and Izzy are on. Seeing this as stroke of good luck I join them in the chat room. I know they have to be at lest a little surprised with my intrusion as I almost never join in conversation with out being at lest asked now a days.  
  
They know I'm a partner, and that I live near DC, I still find it funny that I'm like the only Washington based one of us, why are we all up in NYC? I don't get it. Anyway they know I'm a partner but they don't know just how involved I am. I started the conversations in the beginning but once Izzy got this page up they've had to come to me first, hay I did say I'm introverted didn't I?  
  
So they were talking about the D3's, the new type of digivice that the 3rd wave of kids had received from the powers that be or what ever the heck runs the digital world. It seems that Izzy, the resident genius of the 2nd group, had found a way to build them for everybody and was asking Willis if he had or could think of some upgrades or anything before he started giving them out to his group and their friends, well thoughts that still had their Digimon at any rate.  
  
Now the D3 is a fine and wonderful thing, but I had made a better version soon after I saw the things. Well not really a better version all mine could do over theirs was send messages, I intercepted almost all of the e- mail's they sent each other using their "egg carriers" or what ever the heck thoughts things are called, a D something or other. I took the idea and put it into a verbal typing program; I can't spell worth crap, besides I figured it would be easier to just yell into your D3 then having to type while running away from something. I never had the chance to use the program besides as a spy but I decided to tell Izzy about the idea anyway, in my excitement I even sent him the code, had I been thinking instead of worrying about how I was going to do what I had to do I would have had the presence of mind to ask what a D3 was first.  
  
It took me a moment to realize that they had not responded for over a minute, now for most people it would be normal to take that much time to look at a code and see if it will work, so by the time I remembered this was Izzy I was talking about the silence had been going on way too long and it was way too late for me to do anything to lessen the damage. And so it started, the beginning of the next wave of the digital wars, the beginning of the end of our paths, the beginning of the end for our time as solders. 


	3. ch 3

I don't own anybody but Mr. Lock and the snake. And if ya want to use them go ahead I don't mind.  
  
Chapter three.  
  
Izzy stared at his screen for what seemed like hours. The destined who went by the screen name of Pike_Cap_NCC-1701 had just given him the code for a program that would only work with a D3, he had the base code for them! The only explanation was that he had one, but that was impossible. Izzy had sent the program to Willis in the states almost immediately after receiving it and finding out just what it was. His friend was just as stupefied by this as he was. Getting over the shock both of them lunched into a barrage of questions, and he launched a trace because he didn't want to let "Pike" slip away. But the answers were not what they had been expecting at all.  
  
Pike_Cap_NCC-1701: How did I know the code? I made a D3 when the 3rd wave of us went into the digital world and fought against my old teammate. Yes I said old teammate, listen I was going to see Willis in about a month anyway so this will save me some time and the pain in the butt of learning Japanese, please get everyone together, all three waves and meet me at Gennai's house.  
  
Pike_Cap_NCC-1701: *Dark Mutter* I keep forgetting I'm the only one who knows, the first wave was Willis, Ken, and Michael, he should come with Mimi, I'll be there till midnight tomorrow EST plz come ok?  
  
And with that he was gone. 'Do you have any idea what he was talking about?' Izzy couldn't help but ask his friend. 'Not a clue' was the response, 'but then he always struck me as odd, do you think he snapped?' Izzy had to smile at that one before sending 'Only one way to find out, you can get to the digital world right?' After getting an affirmative response Izzy set about getting the whole gang together, Michael and all.  
  
*******  
  
Serpentmon watched his partner pace back and forth, he didn't remember when his human counterpart had started doing this, and he was sure he would have recalled for it was very annoying. "Could you ssstop for a moment?" he asked the human.  
  
"Huh? Oh sorry I'm just nervous, and I'm not really sure why. No scratch that I am, the angels scare the bejesus out of me and I have a feeling Tai is going to expect to be in charge once it all comes into play." his partner then did something else he didn't remember him ever doing before, he giggled and a nervous giggle at that.  
  
"I wonder if I should have gotten some goggles. That might have made them listen to me." And then he started pacing again. Serpentmon just shook his head, he was nervous too, the angels would be a problem, he could mach them for power in a one on one but if they double teamed him it would be a short fight, he knew that but did his partner have to do that incessant pacing! He was just about to bring it up again when a digiport opened and the most powerful of all the destined stepped through.  
  
He had to smile as the united front was quite impressive, two known megas who could go even above that, two who could reach almost that power combined, six ultimates two with the power of megas and 5 champion levels, well at lest that's what they could go to, the knowledge of that power made the little green snake take a large gulp of air.  
  
Glancing at the digimon he didn't see any glimmer of recognition, well except for the hate coming off in waves from Patimon, the shock in Gatomon's eyes, and Wormmon's seemed to reflect for a moment but it was obvious that he wasn't sure just what he recalled. This was going to be hard, and then he looked into Patimon's eyes once again and he new this was going to be more then hard it was going to be all but impossible.  
  
"Yess, dear brother?" the little green snake all but purred out to TK's partner.  
  
"Don't call me that!" to which the snake chuckled, the rest of the destined looked on with shock written on there faces, the Tall boy with the serpent looked down and it a frowned.  
  
"Dang it, we are trying to make friends here and you're not going to help our chances by provoking him." Sighing he looked out at the young people in front of him, he could tell that they were a bit surprised at his appearance.  
  
6' blue eyed with brown shaggy hair and two days worth of beard, blue jeans, gray t-shit, denim shirt, black leather jacket and a black leather fedora of all things. He loved his hat and jacket almost never took them off provided it wasn't like 90 or something, grinning he looked over at TK who was showing a remarkable amount of will power in holding back and spoke.  
  
"If you're wandering why you feel the almost uncontrollable urge to punch my lights out it's because of these two." Pointing to the two glaring digimon  
  
Kari spoke up, "you don't seem to be all that effected." To which the stranger gave a dry laugh  
  
"I'm just trying not to wet myself and with both of you two here that's quite and accomplishment if I do say so myself. I don't like hanging around angels such as you two more then I have too, you scare me more then I like to admit as it is.  
  
"Alright down to business, something big and bad is coming, I've never felt anything like it and I've been here sense the first monster to breach the firewall came through and I can't afford to sit on the sidelines this time. Whatever it is has activated the four remaining crests, which the guardians had thought were the property of two as of yet unknown digimon, this proved to be wrong, as the guardians all have felt the power of a new crest now, giving us reason to think that a triple DNA or a similar digivolution might now be possible.  
  
"Having reforged the crests I need your help or at lest this world is most likely domed." Tai was the first to brake out of his stupor at the words "reforged the crests" demanded to know just what and how that happened.  
  
"With the four guardians now free thanks to Azulonmon after mummymon inadvertently freed him, the power of your crests is no longer needed to keep the digital world safe, using digicores from all four of the guardians we have remade the crests and hope that in time the power will come from within you once again. Kari's light gives us that hope.  
  
"Seeing as some of you might not know I'll just do roll call as I hand them back out. Courage" he says tossing Tai a tag and then tossing one to Mat, "friendship, love and sincerity." Tossing a tag to Sora and Mimi respectively and then finishing off with Joe and Izzy, "reliability and knowledge."  
  
They looked down at there new tags and were surprised to see that the crests in their hands had auras surrounding them, Tai's and Mat's had a white aura that seemed to be pulsing with power, Sora's and Mimi's had a red one which stayed at a constant low hum as did Joe and Izzy's green ones, reaching into the bag he had been pulling the tags from the young man tossed one to Ken.  
  
"I don't know if you still have yours so I got you a new one, kindness," then tossing one to Willis he spoke with a grin, "destiny" and then giving one to Michael, "honor." And then he tossed a small bag that had been hanging from his belt to TK and Kari, "hope and light, I couldn't make them so Gennai did, I hope they work I've no way to test them. Ok, now that that is out of the way..."  
  
He had started only to be overwhelmed by questions coming from all directions. The newest kids wanting to know where their crests were, the 2nd group wanting to know who he was and how he had made crests in the first place and the first group, well they looked at there crests and looked at him and looked back at their crests and burst out laughing.  
  
After a few minuets only Yoli, Davis, Mat and Tai were still demanding things from him, sending a placating look to Sora, Kari, and Cody they managed to calm down most of the chatter, the glare he gave "his" group was more then adequate to stop their belly laughs into goofy grins and poorly hid chuckles. Sighing he tried to answer as well as he could.  
  
"Ok first things first, I'm Travis Lock, and of all things I'm the destined of faith. those three yahoos are most likely busting a gut because their memories of me have come back." This was punctuated with yet another glare that got all of them wiping tears from there eyes in a matter of minuets, sighing he continued, "Gennai and I remade your crests like we did the first time around, I believe Kari was possessed and showed your group this once, Tai." At Tai's surprised nod he smirked a little and continued, "I was the leader by default do to age when the four of us got sucked into this world something like ten or eleven years ago.  
  
"We stopped the first Apoclimon, or at lest something calling itself that, and the younger ones went back home, I stayed to protect this world and it was all hunky dory, the time difference was even faster back then so I could have stayed till I was fifty here and it would have been the same day back home.  
  
The Dark Masters changed all that. Piedmon, ripped a whole between the worlds, I tried to stop them but failed, we couldn't take four megas at once, that's when that Agumon landed in your house Tai, the beginning the cycle of your digimon's eggs being made and you're being called to the digital world to save it. I'm what kept Myotismon from attacking you once you left the relative safety of the island you landed on when you went in after the tags and crests. I only wish I could have helped against the masters, or in our world. 


	4. ch 4

Don't own it and I don't have any cash to give ya if ya sue me so don't bother. Oh and if ya want the snake or Mr. Lock go ahead I don't care so long as ya give me at lest a nod.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
As the others took some time to think about what they had been told, The first group started sharing tails of there old adventures with each other. Travis was treated with almost reverent respect for all of 5 minuets before they all started howling like wolves after remembering that he had shown up in a dress the first time they had seen him in the digital world.  
  
The red faced boy tried to glare them down but they were to busy laughing to give him any heed. "This is why I always keep spare clothes in this world from now on, I still can't believe it will change the 3rd groups' clothes but it kept me in a dress I had been forced to wear because of a dumb bet. Thank God we went home about three days after we got here the first time or I wouldn't have been very good company."  
  
"You mean you were good company?" Ken asked.  
  
"I was on my best behavior, which is why its such a good thing you took that seed for me, it had to happen to one of us and sadly you where the best one it could have happened to, the rest of us would have been hundreds of times worse then you." And with a sad little smile he continued, "and some of our digimon might have even encouraged us as opposed to just letting us walk all over them." They continued to talk from there, in a much more subdued manor.  
  
Yoli hadn't meant to eavesdrop, she really hadn't but all the cute guys but TK were all over here and she just couldn't help herself. She walked away thinking about what she had heard.  
  
Serpentmon watched the lavender haired girl walk away from the small circle the first group had made and smiled to himself. His partner had gotten the conversation to were it needed to be at just the right time, she and Ken had a destiny together and it seems that Travis wanted to help fate along just a bit. He felt confident in Travis' skills in this until he took a look around and saw something going wrong he was about to bring it to his partners attention when he herd the groan that told him that his partner did indeed know.  
  
Travis looked around in dismay, having found out that Ken and Yoli weren't an item had come as a bit of a shock so he had steered the conversation to put Ken in the best possible light about the worst thing he had ever done right when the lady in question had been unconsciously eavesdropping.  
  
He had felt pretty good about it too, he might not be the best mach maker in the world but he could handle two people who liked each other but just couldn't figure it out, well he thought he could, that was until he turned around after his group's little reunion.  
  
He looked around and the first thing he laid eyes on was Sora hanging off Mat. His eyes had bugged out a little, he knew they had to have, his felt his stomach started to feel a bit queasy, and his brain was going a mile a minuet trying to figure out how to stop THAT abomination. Looking anywhere but at them he saw Mimi hanging off Michael while Joe looked at her with longing, he couldn't believe it, three of the four couples that HAD to happen weren't.  
  
Dreading what he was going to see with the last destined couple he looked towards the angles and almost sighed in relief until he looked close at there body language and saw two very close friends but nothing more and he almost shook his fist at the heavens and cursed every god that might have ever existed as to why they decided to do this of all things to him, before deflating and trying to work out some plan to get the right people together the right way. Glancing down at his partner he sighed "you might have to help we by working on their digimon ya know."  
  
"Huh?" then taking a quick look around the snake digimon saw just what was happening, after prying his eyes off Mat and Sora and caught on, "oh. Makes sense, their digimon and they are linked, we can get them together the humans are likely to fallow suet. They are trying to make this hard on us aren't they?" his partners' only response was to look at the crest hanging from his neck, black and dull  
  
"It's never is easy for us is it?" his voice barely a whisper, almost cracking do to repressed emotions. Sighing again he walked towards the center of the field, his little band finally took note of what was dangling from his neck, their talking stopping immediately, Mimi was caught off guard as Michael who was so proper suddenly stopped talking to her in mid sentence and stared at his leader, ironic really as he was the leader of the NY "chosen". The first wave were not the only ones to see the dull crest around Travis' neck, Tai took note as did TK.  
  
The crest seemed dead almost lifeless and if that was the case then this new kid wouldn't be of much help in a fight. Travis started off with groups and search patters for anything unusual in the digital world, being summer most of the kids had the time off, he knew he would get some arguments on who was to go with whom though, and he wasn't disappointed.  
  
"No way! I'm with Kari!" came the first of the arguments from the third goggle-head, Davis, "I'm the leader of the destined now and I say I'm with Kari!" Travis was a little taken aback by this, oh he new it was coming but he hadn't even thought for a moment that Davis would try to take control, the idea of him leading Tai and the others almost made him bust a gut right then and there.  
  
"First of all you're not in command here, I am or Tai is. You are not, unless of course, you wish to challenge me?" the threat was not an idle one, Travis had lived most of his vast lifetime in the digital world where the laws of the pack and the jungle were king, the strong survived and the strongest lead, only TK, Mat or Tai could rival him in power, Kari would never want to openly lead and so would never challenge for the Alpha spot but Davis could only go Champion level without Ken. It wouldn't even be a fight. Davis was a little surprised at the challenge but decided what the heck he excelled at winning hopeless battles.  
  
"Sure, when and were?"  
  
"Right over there." Travis responded pointing to a large savanna about 20 yards away. "Our digimon should have adequate room to duel there. Ken I expect you not to interfere, this is our fight unless you wish to take me on as well?" Ken merely shook his head and gave a soft "no" Davis's enthusiasm fell just a bit, he didn't know how strong this kid's digimon was and without Ken all he could do was Champion level, but he reluctantly walked towards the dueling grounds. 


	5. ch 5

Digimon isn't mine as I've said had it been Mat would never have gotten Sora in any way.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
With Serpentmon in his hands Travis walked towards his chosen duel grounds, he normally would have done this personally but sense Davis lacked a weapon and he needed to get the others from thinking that his crest was dead he was going to let his partner have a little fun, besides he never liked Davis all that much anyway.  
  
The guy seemed to be all but stalking Kari, why Tai hadn't beat the snot out of him Travis couldn't fathom, so he would do it in Tai's stead. Giving Davis a tight smile he stated the rules.  
  
"This is for leadership of the digidestined, trial by combat the strongest leads the weaker fallow all who wish to challenge me for leadership step forward and face the winner of this duel, all digivolutions are legal as our all attacks known. Agreed?" Davis answer was short and too the point.  
  
"Digiarmor energize!" a brilliant flash of light and Veemon was transformed into, "Flamedramon the fire of Courage!"  
  
Travis stared for a moment, he had forgotten about the eggs! He couldn't believe how dum he was, of coarse with the other crests now fully active not just his there should be a new egg for each of the new three to find and use and with luck it will be close to an ultimate level digimon!  
  
He was so elated that he almost got fried by Flamedramon's opening attack. "Fire Rocket!" snapped out of his reverie by the digimon's attack Travis acted on pure instinct calling the power of his crest he couched bringing right arm up to ward off the attack while tossing Serpentmon out into the fray over the incoming projectiles, what happened next was nothing short of awe inspiring to the gathered destined, even his own team, for they had never seen him use so much power at the same instant.  
  
"Shield of Faith!" Travis yelled and suddenly a large multicolored circle appeared strapped to his forearm, and the gathered destined all saw the crest depicting a rainbow glowing in the middle, it looked like his crest was wrapped around his wrist like a watch, at the same time his digivice glowed and Serpentmon went to the next level.  
  
"Serpentmon digivolve to... Balormon!" The small almost cute green snake was no more, and in his place stood a twelve foot tall, red skinned, black bat-winged demon, with massive clawed hands. Glaring at its opponent Balormon spoke in a deep hallow voice, "You dare attack my partner?" his eyes glowed red with hell fire which suddenly seemed to be wreathed around his body, he formed some of that fire into a wicked, seemingly living sword, "For that I will..."  
  
"Don't worry about it, I'm fine and I should have been paying more attention, the fight had started so it was my fault, but seeing as I've got this little toy out..."  
  
With that Travis flung it in a well practiced motion the shield spinning in the air seeming to get larger as it flew before slamming into Flamedramon causing him to yell in pain and drop out of his armored state, the shield then rebounded and flew back to Travis' waiting hand.  
  
Those near Willis heard him mutter "He's still got it, Captain America eat your hart out."  
  
Davis, however, was in shock, not only had he attacked without thinking and put Travis' life in danger but his digimon had just been beaten my a guy! It didn't make any since, were the heck did he get a weapon in the digital world? Veemon slowly got up and walked back to Davis, he was embarrassed too, he didn't know why he had attacked the digimon when the kid was still holding him he had just felt this intense need to hurt the snake, still did, and he still had his chance.  
  
"Come on Davis let me digivolve so we can beat this guy!" Davis was still shook up about the close call and was about to say no when he felt it again, the intense need to hurt this kid, he tried to figure out why and after a moments reflection he new, Travis wanted Kari, his Kari, he was always looking at her! And there was no way he was going to let anyone have her but him! And with that ExVeemon came into play and charged  
  
*******  
  
Travis felt them, what he most feared had come to pass, they where back and had done something he had hoped to never live to see, biting off a curse he decided to end this farce of a duel now.  
  
"Sora! Mat! Get to the other side of that hill now there something there messing with Davis' head! Balormon lets end this!" His shield long turned off he felt his crest worm up slightly and then his partner went to his ultimate form and he grinned at the shocked intake of breath from the observers at what they saw, and he could almost feel TK's eyes boring into the back of his skull and that only made him grin even larger.  
  
"Balormon digivolve to... FallenAngemon!" As the Black winged scar faced angle looked on impassively his opponent attacked.  
  
"V laser!" the yellow x shaped beam of light flew towards the Angel's face but right before impact he slashed a huge black sword right through forcing the energy to dissipate before casing any damage, releasing his right hand from his sword he brought it forth a sickly green aura around it and fired his own attack at the large blue lizard.  
  
"Twist of Fate!" the pea-green blast landed directly in ExVeemon's chest forcing the champion digimon to his knees, the Dark Angel then placed his sword on his downed opponents neck and asked "Do you yield? The lizard was about to growl out a "Never!" when the odd feelings suddenly stopped all together and he meekly nodded. Both digimon then returned to their rookie states just as Sora and Mat returned.  
  
"We didn't see any thing or anyone." Sora stated, "but their were two digimon in the distance though."  
  
"Let me guess and Bird type and a large cat type right?" came Travis' curt replay at their nod he started cursing under his breath before picking up his hat from where it had fallen after Flamedramon's attack. "Everyone brake into the groups I put you in and start searching now! If you feal any odd emotions fight them as best you can and remember where it happened, keep on the look out for odd digimon and most especially kids!" and with that he stomped off into the trees. 


	6. ch 6

Digimon isn't mine and had it been it most likely wouldn't have been as good, maybe a bit more fun but not as good.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
They broke off into the teams he had made, some grumbling more then others but his tone of voice and obvious knowledge of something odd going on made most of them hold there tongues.  
  
Some were pleased with their partners such as Joe and Mimi, she was playing with the poor boy trying to get him jealous and do something for himself instead of always thinking of others first. It had become her mission to make him do at lest one thing for just himself in his life and if it was her? All the better.  
  
Some were weary, like Tai and Sora, he because no matter how much or how often he said he was fine with her and Mat's relationship he new it was a lie. She because no matter how happy she was with Mat every time she was with Tai she felt things she kept trying to tell herself she shouldn't feel and that he obviously didn't.  
  
Some looked at it with trepidation such as Ken and Yoli. She in fear as she felt feelings for him that were much stronger then her normal flighty crushes and was a bit frightened by what that implied. He for although he new his feelings for her, he couldn't believe that anyone who knew what he had done could ever truly love or trust him.  
  
Some with relief, such as TK and Kari, she for although she enjoyed making him jealous had started feeling a little boxed in my Davis. He for although he would never admit it was in love with Kari, and had been since they where both 8 years old. He was more then a little surprised that she hadn't figured it out yet. He had the moment Angemon digivolved to MagnaAngemon to save her life from Piedmon.  
  
As they broke up each team to its own large aria of the digital world Willis with Davis, Izzy with Cody, and Michael with Mat, Tai did voice is opinion about Ken and Yoli going off one their own. As far as he could tell they only had two champions too their name and that might not cut it he was about to rearrange everything as so he wouldn't have to worry about keeping himself together around Sora for a prolonged period of time.  
  
Travis showed up just then, seemingly from nowhere and stated that he would be keeping an eye out for them and would be within easy flying distance if they needed help. Sighing in defeat Tai and the rest finally headed out leaving Travis alone with his thoughts or so he thought. TK and Kari had flown off a short ways then doubled back on foot, they couldn't help but not totally trust Travis and decided to ask him a few pointed questions. What they got was an earful they would never forget.  
  
"So its started, they are all out looking and I just pray they don't fined anything they can't handle. God I hate this Serpentmon, I'm not lying but I'm holding back, just the idea of that seems kinda blasphemous around Izzy."  
  
"Would you prefer to tell them they will have to battle other children? That they might have to live with the blood of humans on their hands now as well as the kills they've been forced to do to digimon, who I reminded you don't truly die?  
  
"From what you've told me about Mimi that right there would make her pack her bags and leave immediately. But could you tell we why you think there are children involved with this? And why you seem so tense right now, and don't tell me its because of the angels or because the right couples aren't right now."  
  
"Well for the couples I feel a little better about that, Ken has feelings for her but doesn't think she can get past the "Digimon Emperor" in that I know he is wrong, Mimi looks like she is just trying to get Joe jealous, I don't have a clue as to why, I mean the guy is head over heels already but maybe is just a girl thing. Sora might be pulling the same thing, though the best friend is a little much, but you can tell they still have feelings for each other so I'm 'keeping the faith' as it were" this earned him a small groan from his partner along with a almost frightening eye roll.  
  
"You just head to say that didn't you?"  
  
"Yes as a matter of fact I did."  
  
"And the angels? How do you think that will work out?" now at this point TK was thinking very hard about how to get Kari away quickly with out her knowing something was wrong and coming up blank he was about to panic, but the words he heard were music to his ears.  
  
"I don't know buddy, I can't get a bead on what they feel for each other, I'm hoping that some time away from Davis and his feelings will do them some good but as far as I can tell they both feel deeply for each other, but weather is just because they've been best friends since they were eight or..."  
  
He broke off, and started looking out into the woods, Serpentmon too looked out, the angels knowing they had been found out scooted away and headed out to patrol, how can you confront someone when you had just been spying on them? After feeling their auras leave and a quick check of his digivice Travis new he was truly alone with his digimon this time.  
  
"Now where or were we? Oh yes, or if its something more that they haven't told anyone else, or maybe they both are too scared to admit it to each other I don't know, but they both feel it, and what ever it is its strong, very strong. You did know that Angemon went to his ultimate form for the first time just to save Kari's life didn't you?" the little snake bobbed his head up in down in an serpentine approximation of a nod.  
  
"It would have been ether her, her digimon or Mat."  
  
"Her digim...oh. Oh! That's grate does she feel the same?"  
  
"I don't know I've never been good at reading females that's your area of expertise not mine."  
  
"Not female digimon, and not all females..." they stood in silence for a few moments each seeming to be lost deep in thought. I still can't believe how stupid I was not see it."  
  
"See what?"  
  
"Oh nothing, just how the three newbies would be able to help in the fight. It took Davis to make me see it and the answer had been staring me right in the face the whole time, I've gotten too used to them just digivolving normally or DNA digivolving that I forgot about the armors."  
  
"You think that the next four eggs will give them close to ultimate level power?"  
  
"Why not? If we're lucky they will act like golden digieggs and do just that, when Veemon used the one here to beat Ken for good he went to what would be his ultimate so we can hope, and trust in the digital world to be kind, it hasn't seemed to fail in that part of our jobs here yet."  
  
"But wont they be less powerful then the real ultimate?"  
  
"I don't know, I've never had the chance to study a digiegg, golden or otherwise. And yes I know that the normal armor digivolutions are less powerful then a champion but from what Willis told me about his use of one with Rapidmon it might being them up to almost the mega level. Of course those are golden digieggs and these will be normal ones but one can hope."  
  
"True... ok one more thing. Tell me everything that you think is going on and I mean everything!  
  
A large sigh and then "Ok, you might want to brace yourself, its like this..." 


	7. ch 7

All save Lock and Serpentmon are not mine, but even though I do own them if ya like you can use them just give me a foot note or something.  
  
Chapter 7.  
  
"Every time evil is defeated totally a new stronger evil will arise to take its place, right? The Digital world is a prime example of that, take a look at the 2nd waves battles.  
  
An extra strong Champion, then an Ultimate, then an Super strong Ultimate, then a Mega, then Four more Megas all of which got stronger and stronger as time went on and then finally an amalgam of all of them.  
  
The good-guys got stronger because evil made the same mistake over and over again, they always have and they most likely always will. They sent out progressively harder and harder minions to kill the DD's, and so making us stronger and stronger as we work our way to the finial battle. The same thing works with evil winning, a callow youth, a lovely daughter, an estranged son. Something is always left behind that seems small but will work is way to greatness and destroy the evil. Books, movies and old tales are full of this, but they always have good winning in the end, this you and I both know is impossible.  
  
"Nature abhors a vacuum, and is always trying to reach a balance. But in our case there is only so much more power that evil could have gotten, and with the loss of the two most powerful evil digimon and how strong those of us on the good side have gotten, that balance is at hand.  
  
We are all on a spectrum, light and dark, good and evil, law and chaos. Black and White. Within that simple fact the reason why it is impossible for good to truly win becomes apparent. Without evil good no longer has a purpose, self preservation will make sure that some evil remains. A vicious circle in the real world. Here, though, there is a ceiling on power, we have it, and evil wants it. So now the balance has been met, we shall fight on equal terms now, a fair fight if you will, or at lest that is what it will turn into.  
  
"But here is the kicker, the crests are not pure. Courage is not always a virtue nor is friendship. Love can make people do evil things, and being too sincere can cause scars that will never heal. The search for knowledge can cause the searcher more harm then good if it becomes an obsession. Being reliable is a grate thing provided that your reliable in doing something as opposed to nothing, or something incorrectly.  
  
"Hope and light are the two that have the best chance of being pure, but they have opposites that are both drastic and powerful. Besides hope can move mountains or destroy peoples and light can force one out of hiding or cut like a razor when used correctly.  
  
"Kindness can be used against you, and leaves you open to attack or can be shown to those to do not deserve it. And honor is similar to love, men will die for it, or fight for it weather the cause they fight for is just or even worth that sacrifice.  
  
"And finally comes destiny. Are you destined to be grate or small, good or evil? To what side does it flow? Willis has two digimon, one is good, one went evil, is this a sign is he truly with us or will his crest bring us pain as it did him?"  
  
"And what of usss oh wise one?" the little green snake asked his partner, "what of faith, how pray tell is that not pure besides the two the wield it?"  
  
"The fault in faith is in what that faith is put into, whom one holds allegiance to when it is all said and done. I hold to God yet you are a demon an odd contrast no?  
  
"What we, you and I and all of them are going to be fighting is going to be the dark side of humanity, be it with weapons, or digimon there will be death and with death comes renewal or revenge, but the balance will ether be forever or be forever broken by this last grate war and when we fight we may well be forced to look into the mirror and fight what we see staring back at us."  
  
"All right, but if we can fall to the opposition because we are not pure, can't we bring them to our side for it standsss to reason that they could not be pure evil." Travis nodded his assent to his partner's words before heading out to patrol, he was of course alone both because he was the only one who could take it and because he preferred to be that way, he just prayed the others would be all right.  
  
*******  
  
As the boy and his snake walked away, four pairs of eyes watched him through a glass ball.  
  
"He knows too much." A voice stated.  
  
"And that snake of his is almost as bad." A second voice added.  
  
"We should eliminate them now before they become a problem, he is alone the others would never know." a third said.  
  
"No, he has lived here longer then some types of digimon have even existed, the others would know something happened to him that was out of the ordinary, besides look at his crest, it is black and dead and yet he uses it, he might well be the key we need.  
  
"Besides he all but stated that he and the destiny brat are all but neural partes we might be able to offer him something to help us against his so called friends." The forth said, his voice was smooth as silk but had the undertone of command, "the first stage is done, they are called. Now... let the games begin." And with that the room faded away leaving only the laughter of the forth voice to let the world know it was ever there.  
  
*******  
  
It had been three days since the duel and subsequent splitting up of the DD's into "hunting parties". Nothing had been seen or felt out of the ordinary and some were beginning to think that this was nothing more then a wild goose chase.  
  
Tai was asking himself for perhaps the millionth time why he hadn't fought this, the forced proximity to Sora was driving him mad. Their had been a few close calls, nothing more then they could handle though. Having a mega and an ultimate with you comes in handy sometimes. The worst part, though, was that they had fallen back into old habits.  
  
They had been best friends for years and rarely had to talk to get their point across. He fell more in love with her as the days grew on, he really couldn't help himself, he had loved her for as long as he could remember, he had just never realized it until Datamon had kidnapped her and it had been all his fault. He had lost himself when that happened, getting her back was the only thing that mattered, She had been why Graymon had digivolved, he was not about to loose her again right after getting her back and he didn't care how strong Eatamon had become.  
  
She had made him become the man he was today because he loved her and didn't want to loose her. And he had ended up losing her anyway, to his other best friend no less. It hurt, oh god how it hurt, but she was happy and who was he to stand in the way of her happiness for his own selfish feelings? And now he was stuck with her out in the middle of nowhere, just him and her and their digimon, and even that was getting on his poor frayed nerves.  
  
Agumon and Biyomon seemed to have grown attached to each other somewhere along the way, Tai silently cursed his digimon partner for having the courage to do something he had known he had wanted to do for years, something he himself could never do, "Holder of courage my ass." he muttered to himself.  
  
"What was that Tai?" Sora asked, "I missed it."  
  
"Oh nothing," he answered quickly, "nothing at all..." God this was killing him, he could shout his love for her from the tallest mountain, he knew that, but to ask the question, to risk her rejecting him... that he wasn't strong enough to face. He had to end this, he was the leader of the original, no scratch that, 2nd wave of destined and they had the most numbers, he should lead and damn it he would just to get away from Sora before he did something that he would regret for the rest of his life. 'Damn it when did I become such a cowered?' He reached for his digivice and that is when the fog rolled in.  
  
*******  
  
Sora was sure she was loosing her mind. Talking to yourself was the first sign of that right? She had been having conversations with herself for some time but having them talk back, and argue with you on top of it couldn't be a good sign. It had all started on the second day.  
  
She and Tai were scouting out their rather large slice of the digital world when their new D3's had acted up, signaling the presence of another destined. So they of course had run after the signal only to be confronted with a rather pissed off SkullGraymon. MetalGraymon and Garudamon had battled it, forcing it back. Only it seemed to know what she and Tai were to the digimon facing off against it and had tried to attack her.  
  
Tai had thrown her out of the way, barely avoiding being killed in the explosion from that red fish that the viral type digimon had fired. As it turned out that attacking her was the last mistake the fool ever made, WarGraymon made sure of that. It had been the first time Sora had ever seen a ultimate got to mega and judging from the look on Tai's face it was the first time that he had ether.  
  
Why did he have to be so damned protective?! She had worked for years telling herself that he never cared for her, that she was fine with out him, never needed him in the first place.  
  
(Ya, right girl. You never saw that look in his eyes every time you're with Mat? Oh and lest we forget when he found...)  
  
'SHUT UP!' she yelled at that little voice in head. The damned thing had come out of nowhere. The first time she had tried to tell herself that he didn't care sense that incident and something odd had happened, there had been silence when an affirmative answer had always been there before. Nothing but silence.  
  
So of coarse she had asked again 'RIGHT?' and this time this new little nagging voice had come back with a resounding (NO!) It then proceeded to try and blow everything she had ever used to make herself fall out of love with Tai out of the water and into a picture of him so hopelessly in love with her that his lack of hurt and anger over her dating Mat was him simply letting her go so she would be happy.  
  
"How much bull is that?" she muttered under her breath at about the same time Tai mumbled something. "What was that Tai? I missed it."  
  
"Oh, nothing," He said "nothing at all."  
  
She glanced up at him and could tell he was lying. Something was bothering him, he should know better then to lie to her by now, she new him too well. She was going to press but saw that he was deep in thought. 'Probably trying to figure out how to get rid of me.'  
  
(Of course he is, wouldn't you be trying to get away from the girl you love if she was with your best friend and you couldn't touch her or kiss her or even really hug her with out feeling guilty?) came that voice again.  
  
'HE DOSEN'T LOVE ME!' Sora screamed at the top of her mental voice at that damned, persistent, nagging thing.  
  
(What makes you so sure honey?)  
  
'He didn't fight for me! He didn't yell at Mat, or ask me why, or yell at me, or even cry damn it! Not so much as one tear! Losing me wasn't even worth one tear from the great Tai, he doesn't love me and he never did!'  
  
(Who are you trying to convince me or yourself? Besides how can you say that he never loved you, what about the e-mail?) Sora's hand unconsciously flew to her hair where Tai's hair clip from all those years ago was. She had worn it almost everyday sense Mat had told her he liked to see her hair and not a hat all the time, she hadn't even realized that she had been using it and her breath caught. That was when she realized she was surrounded with fog, with no Tai or her digimon in sight. 


	8. ch 8

I don't own digimon I do wish Lord Archive did though his (I think) stores kick major ass.  
  
Chapter 8.  
  
'There is something wrong with this fog' was the first thing he thought, for one thing it was almost noon and there shouldn't even be fog, for another it was far too thick to be natural.  
  
"Sora!" he yelled to no avail, his digivice gave only static and he couldn't send for help, no Agumon and no Sora 'things just keep getting better and better don't they?' and that is when he heard it, a voice and not just any voice. Mat's voice.  
  
"I've won Tai! You hear me? I've won! I've got her now and you never will! You took control when it should have been mine, you've all but taken my brother from me but in the end I won! You hear me? I won because I got the love of your life and she doesn't give a damn about you! How do you like that Tai? Huh? How do you? How do you like being the looser for once?  
  
"And you want to know what the best part is? I don't even love her! I'm just using her to prove once and for all I'm better then you! Sure I lust after her, with a body like that who wouldn't but I don't love her, but she loves me. ME Tai, not you, *me* and I owe it all to you and that yellow streak you try so hard to hide, thanks man I enjoy being on the winning side once, c-ya!"  
  
And with that the voice was gone, all Tai could hear was his own ragged breathing. 'That wasn't Mat' he kept repeating to himself saying over and over how his best friend wouldn't do that to him, or to her, but it seemed the more he tried to tell himself it couldn't be, the more he seem to be convinced it was. And that was when a new voice reached his ears.  
  
"She's lost to you Tai, she has made her choice. The only way you could get her back is to prove what kind of man Mat is, ether that or take her, for she owes you her life, doesn't she Tai?" This voice said, it was distinctly feminine, a sultry alto. "You could take her, she is yours by right after all, shouldn't you get something out of your investment?"  
  
The fog cleared slightly, and he could make out the silhouette of a girl about his age, she strode towards him and his eyes went wide and his breath caught in his throat, she was beautiful. Long red hair shimmering in the distorted light of the fog, seeming almost alive as it moved around her face and her eyes, 'oh god her eyes!', they where an arresting shade of green that seemed to root him to the spot he stood and pierce his very soul, he stood there gaping at her for what felt like an eternity before she broke the silence once again.  
  
"That is of coarse unless you see something you'd prefer." This was spoken with a cute little smile that looked like heaven itself but promised nothing but sin. She turned and strode back into the fog but before she faded completely from sight once more, he could make out what looked like a *pink* Agumon at her side and as she faded away completely her voice almost seemed to flout to him. "Her or me Tai, you can have one or the other, make your decision. She is yours for the taking if for no other reason then the debt she owes you. I will wait. Will you stay loyal to her even after she has broken your heart and gone to another? Or will you come to me? I will never leave you Tai, never." and then the fog was gone and she was nowhere to be seen leaving a very confused Tai staring where she last was.  
  
*******  
  
Less then a foot away, but seemingly in a whole other world Sora was going through her own little visitation, like Kari before her when she had been lost in the world of the dark ocean the first one she called for was Tai, it was instinctive, something she had done for as long as she could remember. He had always been then for her, her savior, her champion and now once again she called his name. Only this time someone answered and it wasn't Tai, oh no she wasn't that lucky, no the voice that came back to her was non other then the other man in her life. It was Mat's.  
  
"Tai? Tai! Your out here all alone and you call for him! Why Sora? I'm your boyfriend, I'm the one who is supposed to take care of you, the one your supposed to turn too and you call for him? Is your best friend able to take better care of you then I am? Or do you love him? That's it isn't it? Your just using me to make him jealous aren't you? Well the jokes on you, you little bitch! I offered to brake up with you! That's right I told him our friendship wasn't worth loosing over this and he sad no! that he was ok with it! I hope you have a nice life Sora, and you might just be able to get something from him if you beg but I'm out of here!"  
  
She stood there dumfounded for a moment thinking how Mat could have said those things, hell Tai was her partner so shouldn't she logically call out for him? But then something else that he had said came crashing down on her, not his leaving no that she could handle. They had had fights before and would be able to make up once he cooled down some. The fact that he had offered to brake up with her to Tai just to keep his friendship hurt but for some reason she didn't know which hurt more. The fact that Tai didn't jump at the chance, or that Tai mente more to Mat then she did.  
  
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the fog clearing. 


	9. ch 9

Still don't own it and its most likely a good thing too. I could have used the money though.  
  
Chapter 9.  
  
It had been three days sense their aborted attempt to confront Travis, three days sense they had heard things that made them think about the sometimes strained relationships in their little group. Kari loved Sora like a sister, and the fact that she had chosen Mat over her brother, Tai, had hurt her almost as much as she knew it heart him.  
  
To her Sora and Tai had been married for years, they had been the mother and father during their time in the digital world, the driving force and most likely the only reason that any of them were still alive, besides she was the only person that Kari didn't mind sharing her brother with.  
  
With all the other girls he had tried to date over the years, it had never felt right, non of them had been worthy of her brother, who yes could be an idiot but was one of the most loving and caring people she had ever known. Really her own best friend TK was the only one who could come close to matching her big brother.  
  
What they had heard from Travis' conversation with his digimon wasn't anything new really, Mimi and Joe would end up together, Kari new that Joe was probably the only person in the world grounded enough to put up with Mimi for forever.  
  
Ken and Yoli was a bit of a surprise, well not really, Yoli hadn't really put much effort into hiding her attraction to Ken, it was more surprising to find out that he felt anything back, no it was how he had put her and TK's relationship that had her a bit worried, why did everyone think that she and TK were anything more the friends?  
  
They had had to put up with Mimi saying they were perfect for each other sense they were eight and the whole school ether trying to get them together or convinced that they already were, as far as she could tell the only person who didn't think that they were was Davis and his group of friends and even most of them had tried and one point or another to tell him he didn't have a chance.  
  
Well that wasn't really true, he had had a chance, a good one at that, he is so much like her brother she couldn't help but feel *something* for him, but as time went on the very thing that gave him a chance with her had now made it an impossibility. As it had turned out it was all her brothers BAD traits.  
  
She loved her brother beyond reason sometimes but Davis was like everything that she couldn't stand about him in a concentrated form and to make matters worse for him, he was also the bad side of someone else. Someone she didn't like much at that. Mat.  
  
Mat, TK's older brother, the only human she had ever come close to hating. It hadn't always been like that, oh no, she had liked and respected Mat for a long time, had even had a crush on him at one point, no it was the fact that he had done something that was unforgivable. He had hurt her brother and hurt him bad.  
  
He had given him a wound that might yet prove fatal and so she had come as close as she could to hating the boy who had been like an Uncle to Tai and Sora's mother and father act in the digital world, and she most likely would have succeeded had it not been for Tai, who for the sake of friendship would plaster on a fake smile and hang out with him still. She heard Tai crying afterwards sometimes, but if he who was hurt couldn't or wouldn't hate Mat how could she?  
  
But it was with the death of her hopes for Tai and Sora that any chance Davis had died with Mat's treachery, if not before...  
  
(Like right when TK had walked though that door and back into your life as something more then just a voice on the phone or the sender of an e- mail...)  
  
She shook her head to clear it 'where the heck did that come from, he's my best friend for goodness sake!' and that was when she felt it, a dark presence and then she saw it, a bank of fog that seemed to be moving with a mind of its own, but before she could call out to TK in warning they where cut off leaving her alone, it was odd though, the fog seemed to almost be repelled by her and that was when she heard the voice.  
  
*******  
  
TK had been walking with his beast friend for the past three days, they didn't talk much, mostly because they both where thinking about what they had heard. His thoughts like Kari's were mostly focused on the Tai, Mat and Sora love triangle, his point of view was quite different then Kari's though, because he had been there at the beginning, and he knew the whole story.  
  
The fight that had started this war had happened almost immediately after they had arrived in the digital world. Tai had taken charge and Mat had taken offense, it had gotten so bad one time that Joe of all people had tried to scale that stupid mountain all by himself, and had almost been killed because of it.  
  
TK like all the other DD's had thought that the battle had been finely put to rest, when, after the battle with Etamon and Tai's disappearance, they had fallen apart as a group. Mat had tried to lead but he wasn't Tai, in the end they had all gone there separate ways, hell Mat had even left him.  
  
In the end, Tai's return had saved them all, and he had been accepted as leader by all of them. Everyone of them had decided that they would fallow him through hell if need be had he played the wrong card at that gateway door.  
  
Or at lest it seemed like they all had. TK wasn't so sure now, his brother had separated from the group and they hadn't seen it until Puppetmon, he had even attacked Tai again to prove he was the dominant one. Once again Tai had offered friendship and once again he paid for it.  
  
This time the payment was Sora, it was an attack that he had never believed his brother would use, Sora and Tai had had a better relationship then he and Mat's own parents. They had been the ones that TK had thought would last forever. But he had been wrong, Oh how wrong he had been.  
  
Mat had taken the one thing in this world that Tai wouldn't fight for. Some might say that if he really loved her he would have fought, TK wasn't one of those people. 'If you love somebody you have to let them go' is something that Tai seemed to have taken to heart. It was surprising to TK sometime that Tai had ended up with the crest of courage when he showed both love and friendship truer then either one of their holders.  
  
But it was in this final battle, the first one that Tai ever lost, that he won a war he hadn't even been fighting for years. Mat proved that he wasn't worthy of leading the DD's that day at lest in TK opinion but then again he didn't know which one he was more upset with, still didn't.  
  
Mat or Sora.  
  
Tai was someone he looked up too, he was the other big brother that he had never had and they had hurt him much worse then he had ever seen him hurt except when Datamon had kidnapped Sora. Kari had even told him that she had heard him crying at night. Big macho Tai reduced to crying in his pillow because two of the three people who mean the most to him had decided to try and destroy him.  
  
Thoughts of Relationships sprang off from there, Yoli and Ken. The more he thought about it the more he like it, Yoli was the holder of both love and sincerity and as such might be the only way Ken will ever forgive himself for what he did when he wasn't wholly himself.  
  
TK believed that, he had too. The Dark Spores changed people for the worst and so Ken wasn't fully at fault, once he under stood that the better for all of them.  
  
The loss of Mimi to Joe, well that was another matter, he had had a crush on her for a long time.  
  
(Yes, a long time. You had it since you saw her to when Kari's digimon turned into Angewomon then that little infatuation went right out the window now didn't it?)  
  
'Yep.' And he stole a look at his best friend. She had stolen his heart that day, it had most likely just been his eight year old mind thinking that sense their digimon were so alike then they had to belong together, but since then, since he has saved her life. 'Over and over and over again!'  
  
(You like it! Your even hoping that if you do it enough times she'll come to you first instead of Tai!)  
  
Now that caught him off guard, but he had to admit the idea of her calling to him or coming to him for help first instead of it always being Tai made him feel worm inside.  
  
Tai, it all comes back to Tai. This was a fact that TK had lived with most of his life. Tai kept them together and his loss pulled them apart. He was the strongest of all of them, the first to every level of digivolution, he was the first to know of the Emperor, the one to release the D3's and start the new round of wars and sadly he had the single highest kill count of all the destined.  
  
TK had watched him grow from a kid barley mentally older then himself to a man and he had watched that man almost killed by his own brother. Tai was the only father figure that TK had ever really known, he was the patriarch of the destined, the grandfatherish type figure for Davis and co.  
  
And that is when it hit him. Why the both the barriers of love and friendship would turn there backs the one their crests means the most too. Sora was the closest thing Mat had to a mother too. THAT was why he couldn't ask Kari out for fear that it would hurt Tai even more. Sora's damn crest was making her stay by Mat until he could face the world without a safety net and Mat was clinging for all he was worth! And that was when he noticed he was alone and seemingly trapped in a bank of fog, "Kari!" he yelled, but it wasn't her voice that answered back. 


	10. ch 10

Nope still not mine, and in case your wondering, no I don't hate Mat. As a matter of fact he is one of my favorite characters. He just happens to have some depth to him and a dark side that no one ever seems to bring up but I just can't seem to forget. I guess the spitefulness in me is getting the better of me and I should blame who ever got high and made the 02 ending but poor Mat just has to take the brunt from me, its ok though, he's tough.  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Testing to see if she was right Kari walked into the fog, as she did so a small smile graced her lips as the fog swirled but thinned out in front of her. She opened her mouth to call out to TK but stopped dead when the voce of the boy she had just been thinking about cut though the fog like a knife.  
  
"Kari!" Davis' voice called, "I'm so glad I found you! Hay where is TS? I can't believe he would let my girl walk off on her, own you could get hurt!"  
  
At his words something in Kari snapped. She was always nice and sweet. The so called perfect one but she was fed up with Davis thinking that he owned her, and she was more then fed up with Davis being so dense that he couldn't even get TK's name right!  
  
She knew he knew it, how could you not know TK? But he refused to say it right in an immature attempt to belittle TK. He was so idiotic in this attempt that he couldn't even tell how stupid it made him look. So she decided to end this game for good, something that she had just realized was something that she should have done a long time ago. What she had tried to do after the US fiasco and his jealous fit over Willis.  
  
"For the last time Davis, I. Am. Not. Your. Girl." She all but spat at his silhouette. "And do yourself a favor and learn TK's name, the others might start to respect you for once if you didn't come off as such an idiot all the damn time!" Now this really shocked her. She almost never swore, and never at her friends, she wanted to apologize but she just couldn't seem to, something was holding her back, and it was making her want to hurt him for all the crap he had pulled in her life. So it went on and on. She called him everything in the book and most likely even made up a few words in doing so, by the end she was red in the face and panting and he seemed to be crying.  
  
"Fine! If that's the way you really feel about me I'll... I'll leave you alone... forever..." Still in the grips of what ever was making her like this she didn't pay attention to the depressed tone in his voice and her rather chipper "Good!" didn't help any. His last remark however did manage to cut though the red haze that had taken hold of her mind. "Ok then, Kari, good-bye..." the awful note of finality in that last word as he faded away, was like a slap in the face and a bucket of cold water at the same time as she realized just what he meant by good-bye. She heard his scream and ran forwards calling his name, having been blinded by tears after realizing what he had done, she didn't notice the fog had lifted almost immediately afterwards.  
  
*******  
  
TK's call for Kari wasn't answered by her voice, no it was answered by the closest thing TK really had to a rival for the girls love, Davis.  
  
"Yo, TP that you?" TK had gotten used to the Tai wannabe messing up his name, even if he didn't truly understand why he did it.  
  
"Yes, its me. What are you doing here Davis? Aren't you and Willis supposed to be on the other side of the digital world?" 'Ten to one its going to be something about making sure Kari is safe or I'm not hitting on *his* girl.'  
  
"I got a funny feeling that Kari was in trouble and their was no way I was going to let Willis get close to my girl, your were in the way enough as it was."  
  
'Right on both counts.' TK thought to himself, 'what a minute, did he say I *was* in the way? What the heck does that mean?' and that was exactly what he asked. It wasn't that he didn't think that Kari wouldn't chouse Davis, on the contrary he was deathly afraid of it.  
  
He knew how much she loved her brother, and that she had even had a crush on his at one point, and Davis was like both of them in some ways. It was a fear that he lived with constantly. No it was the idea that she wouldn't have told him about it that didn't sit easily with him.  
  
"That's right TR, Kari and I are a couple now, and it was all because I saved her from the big scary fog monster." TK could hear the smile in Davis' voice but only gave the whole explanation a mental snort.  
  
If Kari had been one to run into a relationship just because a guy saved her life then he himself would have been set for life just because of Piedmon alone. 'Not counting getting the group out of that house when she had been sick that one time in the digital world, or even getting her out of the Dark Ocean, just to name a few.' He was just about to say that to the pompous windbag when suddenly the fog cleared... 


	11. ch 11

All righty then. Moving right along. That last chapter was a killer, I had it all worked out then it just kinda jumped out of my head and moved to Mexico or something, so I'm sorry it was so short and if it didn't make much sense. I know that Kari was OOC, hell she new she was I'll get to all that latter so don't worry about it for the moment ok?  
  
I'm sure some of you are smart and know what I'm going to do. That is if anyone besides my two friends and one other reviewer (THANKS EVER SO MUCH FOR THAT REVIEW BY THE WAY, IT MEANT A LOT TO ME) is even reading this. My friends already know what is going to happen and I don't know if the reviewer came back past chapter 2 or not :p hope ya did and I hope I'm still keeping you entertained.  
  
Anyway I don't own Digimon right now but once I get a hell of a lot more money then I do right now I'll think about it. The tapes that is, I really, really want to see the rest of 02 and the real ending, at lest I'm hoping that that peace of crap they gave us here in the states wasn't the real ending or I might just cry about it. and I don't think any of you wish to see a 19 year old cry over a cartoon do ya?  
  
Chapter 11.  
  
The gray fog swept through everything. All the digidestined save one were enveloped at the exact same time.  
  
Lock was spared from the assault simply because he was in the air after checking up on Ken and Yoli when the fog struck on that fateful third day. The fog hit hardiest at the strongest of the destined. As such TK and Tai would take the brunt of this first move in the war as would he. Sora and Kari would run the risk of loosing that which could truly bring them happiness because of it. And Mimi would pay for her sins with the loss of a friendship.  
  
This first volley was well placed, almost destroying any chance the destined had of working as a unit.  
  
They were attacked with words and pictures. Tai by what could have been a delusion or another destined. Kari with emotions that she couldn't keep in check. Each different and each the same. The crests show that which best represents the holder, and so it was to the times they didn't or couldn't hold to their crests that the fog attacked.  
  
Mimi was hammered with her using of Michael, while Joe was attacked by the specters of both Tai and Izzy for letting them down during the whole Dioboramon incident, by simply not being there.  
  
Mat was forced to watch himself betray Tai over and over again, in the third person, from slugging him to making MetalGarurumon fight WarGraymon. While Ken saw the whole digimon emperor thing in the same way Mat was forced to relive his past. Yoli saw herself bounce from boy to boy, with all the lies she told in the doing. Izzy saw every time he let his thirst for knowledge get the better of him and place his friends in danger.  
  
Willis saw every time his crest had brought heartache to the people and digimon he cared about, from the first time into the digital world to when his crest reached out and attacked him in the real. Cody who's unwillingness to bend hurt both him and his friends, from Ken to TK, his stubborn refusal to look deeper into things was his greatest fault.  
  
Davis, who like his predecessor as the holder of friendship, wasn't really quite sure what that meant. His delay at helping to get Agumon back and oddly his treatment of TK seemed to weigh most heavily upon his soul. And finally we have Michael who was lost through no fault of his own, but do to the honorless actions of one he called friend.  
  
*******  
  
And we have the holder of Faith. The one to arrive last to the party and perhaps the one who did the most damage. He landed after all the rest had been in the fog for some time and what he saw was nothing less then an ending that could no longer be.  
  
"Behold barer of Faith! Ye hath failed at thy task!" the voice of Azulongmon boomed out from the depths of the fog. "Look into the fog and see thy future, and the destiny of thy compatriots." Travis was about to give the Digimon god sharp words for using his 'biblical' voice when he new all it did was tick him off, but the words turned to ash on his tongue when he saw what was being presented to him.  
  
The digital world with every person with a partner, the good and the evil, the balance kept and continued. He saw the second and third wave kids with their children, Ken and Yoli together but that seemed to be it, although Sora's child seemed to look like Mat and Mat's child seemed to look a lot like Sora, of him and his wave of kids their was nothing to be seen, besides Ken of coarse.  
  
His croaked out "no" was barley even a whisper. "I'm afraid so holder of Faith, you and your allies attempts shall be for not. Leave now or parish, even the chosen ones cannot fight destiny." At those words the crest around Travis' neck started to glow as his hand few up to it in an unconscious action before he retorted in a voice not wholly his own.  
  
"You are wrong there imposter!" the odd duel voice that was coming out of the American boy stated, " Destiny is NOT Fate and as such *can* be fought, *can* be changed or *can* be walked away from! If this be our fate then so be it, but I would rather die before I just allow it to happen." And with that the crest flashed a blinding white destroying the fog and dumping Travis into a seen out of both his nightmares... and his dreams.  
  
*******  
  
  
  
Upon the dissipation of the fog many things happened at the same time. Tai and TK reached for Sora and Kari out of reflex, but both of them raced to holders of friendship before sobbing 'I'm sorry' into their chests leaving their best friends in an odd looking pose with an identical look of surprise on their faces as they took in Kari's position.  
  
Mimi took one look at Michael and brokenly told him what she had done before burrowing into Joe's chest to sob as well, right as Ken broke down. Yoli rushed to his side to give him what comfort she could, As Mat clung to Sora. He didn't know why she needed this or what she was crying about but he needed her close after seeing just what he had done to his best friend.  
  
He couldn't even bring himself to look at him after seeing just what he had become. And Davis rapped his arm around Kari and shot TK a victorious smile only to have that smile die as he watched the light in TK's eyes die as well. The others merely stood in self contemplation as Michael stared at Mimi for a bit before turning to walk away.  
  
*******  
  
It was in that moment, that instant when everything was either perfect or so very wrong that Travis found himself also transported though the power of the fog to the clearing that they had all first arrived at. The sight that greeted his eyes was that of Ken and Yoli together, and that of Mimi and Joe together. The sight of Tai trying his hardest to keep from falling apart as Mat and Sora clung to each other as if their lives depended on it. One of his kids about to walk away from his responsibility and Kari apparently with Davis. Of TK there was no sign save his hat blowing in the wind. And that is what did it, what finally broke his iron control, for the rest of his life he would regret what he said that day, but for good or for ill it was said.  
  
"Cowered." It was but a whisper but it cut through the sobs and the platitudes like a gun shot. The venom in that one, barley breathed, word was so potent the recipient might have died had he been a lesser man. The collective gasps of astonishment however stood in evidence that this was no lesser man. It was in fact, Tai.  
  
"Three days and you do nothing, nothing! How long will you let someone else rule your life without taking charge Tai? How long will you let this hang over your head? Take a stand or walk away, go for the ultimate reword or live with 'what might have been' for the rest of your life, but do SOMETHING!" he took a deep breath at this point in an obvious attempt to clam himself "Go think about it while you go find TK, he needs a friend who understands what he is going though right now and his *brother* wont be of much help." The word brother flew off his tongue as if he couldn't stand the taste of it, he did it so well that Mat flinched.  
  
As Tai left without a word of protest the rest of the group gaped. Surprisingly it wasn't Kari who came to her brothers defense or even Davis who idolized him, no it was Sora who's red eyes blazed with anger as she ground out through clinched teeth, "Tai is NOT a cowered!" Travis didn't even look at her as he stated his response, and it was a response that only Sora didn't comprehend.  
  
"You should ask him sometime Sora, he'll tell you I'm right. He is a cowered. One of the biggest I've ever met, but only when it really matters." He then turned and looked over at Michael. "And you, so you were used by a girl, it happens all the time, get over it. We all can't be held to your moral high ground all the damn time ok? I don't give a shit that she was supposed to be the sincere one, love makes people do things out of character, if you don't know that by know then go watch one of your father's cheesy moves!"  
  
He then bent down and grabbed TK's fallen hat in one fist. It seemed oddly appropriate that it had been left behind when the boy had ran; for it was his trade mark, part of who and what he is, with out it he seemed less then himself. And it was also the trigger to the biggest tirade in Travis' life. His blue eyes like ice, his glare pined Kari to the floor, as he brandished the cap like a weapon... or a bible.  
  
"I don't know what your game is Kari, but I hope you had your fun playing with the boys because this little stunt might well have killed us all. It's funny really, the holder of light driving others towards darkness, you should be proud.  
  
"You had a real chance at something, something rare and amazing and what do you have to show for it? A pale imitation of both your brother and the man that nearly destroyed him." At this point Davis was just about to defend both himself and Kari when that icy gaze was turned on him stopping the words dead in this throat.  
  
"And you, its nice to see your friendship side has finely started to show. It's a common trait amongst friends, apparently, to rip out a buddy's still beating hart and put it on display. to steal his soul and flaunt over your victory at every opportunity." This last was obviously aimed at Mat as well as Davis and he emphasized his parting comment by spitting at their feet. "You four make me sick, now I need to see if I can help Tai keep TK from falling into that pit of despair he has walked over ever since Angemon's death. Without his lighthouse I don't know if its even possible." He turned to go but gave one last parting shot before walking away.  
  
"I wonder, will you be able to fight off the darkness with no ray of hope to guide your way this time Kari? Did you even think of that before you tried to kill him? No? didn't think so, I almost hope you do get sucked in, it would be fitting punishment for a bitch like you!" and with that he was gone leaving shock and outrage in his wake.  
  
*******  
  
As he strode off in the direction of Tai and TK's digivices, he inwardly cursed himself. He never lost control like that, if he did he wouldn't still be alive. Anger clouds the mind and makes you do and say foolish things as he had just proven. "Well I guess I am a fool because now I'm going to let my stupid pride keep me from apologizing. Well damn it they needed to hear it! Now I just hope they were listening."  
  
But as he walked he thought more and more about why he had lost it like that, his blue eyes flew open as the impact of what had happened to him in that fog finely hit him and he grabbed for the tag around his neck only to find it gone. "Sara?" it was more a prayer then a question and it was the last coherent thought he would make as he sensed a presence behind him right before the world went dark. 


	12. E:CW ch 1

All right, I've got an upset TK, Mimi, and Ken. I've got a pissed off Sora and Michael a confused Tai and an unconscious Travis... Wow I've been busy. Ok now I really want to know this, how many of y'all liked Travis' little tirade? Or at lest thought he had a point?  
  
I don't own Digimon. Hell I don't even own the Movie I'm just borrowing it from a friend right now for reference, I really wish I could remember in pictures, it would makes things like eye color and such much easier, oh well at lest I remember some obscure details from the show.  
  
Book 2 Equilibrium: Counter Weight  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Tai walked into the forest after TK. His heart went out to the kid and he knew that Travis was right he would need a friend, God knows that he had. He smiled a bit as he remembered what he had put both Izzy and Kari though. At lest TK was lucky that Patimon was here so he wouldn't be denied his best friend like Tai had been. That wasn't the main reason he had done as Travis had asked, no *ordered* him to do, oh no. He had needed to get away from seeing Sora and Mat together, added with the site of his little sister with Davis and it had been too much.  
  
TK didn't deserve the heartache that sight had to have provoked, and that little weasel Davis had had to smile about it. It had been that smile that had made him turn to go with out a word of protest. Tai had known then that he had made a horrible mistake. The only reason that he hadn't beaten Davis was because he had seen so much of himself in the kid that his heart had gone out to him.  
  
Davis had been trapped in the same type of love he himself was in. The love of his life belonged to another, and that other just happened to be Mat's younger brother. It hadn't started that way of coarse, Davis had just been a kid that he had helped in soccer with a similar taste in head wear and personality. Almost like a kid brother. It hadn't been until TK's return to Kari's life and the start of Ken's rain of terror that he had found out about the other. He had let the poor kid go, he couldn't stop him and he was bound for a nasty heart brake so why hurt him unless he hurt Kari first.  
  
There had never been any doubt in Tai's mind that his little sister would end up with TK at some point, they had been in constant contact sense they were eight and best friends to boot. (Should have told you right there that it wouldn't work. Sora should have been proof enough.) 'Yes she should have been, and perhaps she was...' his train of thought had just reached a station he didn't want to think about, but the blond boy he had just reached might need to hear it, or he might just need to say it. "I'm sorry TK, this is all my fault."  
  
*******  
  
Tai's voice bounced around in TK's skull, 'I'm sorry TK, this is all my fault.' It didn't make sense, it wasn't Tai's fault, it was his for not voicing his feelings to Kari, or it was Mat or Sora's fault for making him keep his words in check so as to not hurt Tai even more by looking like he, Mat's little brother, was trying to take Tai's sister away from him too. Tai's voice cut the silence once more, his words almost bled regret.  
  
"I always just assumed that you and Kari would get together in the end, the angels of hope and light. You were bonded by your tie to Azulongmon and your freindship. Did I ever thank you for taking care of her for me TK? If I didn't then thank you and if I had then thank you again..." He paused to collect himself, TK could tell that what was coming next was herd for the older boy to voice but he seemed to need this, besides knowing that Tai excepted him made him feel a bit better, if Tai was on his side then there was still some hope left after all.  
  
"Next to... next to Sora... Kari is the most important person in this world to me and you have done a better job of protecting her then I ever did. And I'm afraid I've failed her once again, only this time she isn't the only one who was hurt. I let Davis get away with a lot of things I normally never would have let pass, only because I saw a lot of me in him and I didn't think he ever really had a chance. He was after my baby sister, I didn't see it right away but once I did and I knew that you were the one standing in his way I... I let it slide.  
  
"I told myself all kinds of reasons as to why it was ok. You would never let him hurt her, and he never had a chance in the first place. But the truth was I was hoping that he would win. Because when I saw you all I saw was your brother, and I wanted your brother to hurt so I ended up hurting you instead. For that I am truly sorry.  
  
"For a minute there when she ran to Davis I was ecstatic, and that caught me off guard. I only came to realize what I had done a few moments ago but that doesn't pardon it. For what I did I'm not sure if I can be forgiven, and I don't think I can forgive myself. Did you see that simile of victory he had on his face? He doesn't love her and I just couldn't see it before and now she chouse him all because I... I..." and with that he broke off into sobs. His failure complete. He had failed his sister, his friend and himself.  
  
*******  
  
TK stared at the older boy for a moment, the tears caught him off guard. He had only seen Tai cry a few times and that normally initialed that Kari or Sora was in mortal danger, he was the leader, the one who could show no fear. TK had watched him back when he was eight, had hero worshiped him for some time. He trusted Tai in almost all things, and in some ways more then his own older brother.  
  
And now he got to see first hand what Kari had been talking about, the devastation that Tai dealt with everyday. How could they have done this to him? TK had just decided to go back to the group, he might have jumped to conclusions because of that odd fog. Even if Kari had chosen Davis she would have told him about it by now even if they were never to be more then just friends, but Tai didn't have that luxury.  
  
From what he had found out from Kari, the day that Tai was finely going to tell Sora how he felt, was the day he found out that she was with Mat. She hadn't told him, and Mat hadn't told him. Had he not been looking for her to spill his guts and give her his heart on a silver platter he might never have known.  
  
He had almost lost his brother the next day. Kari had shown up bright and early looking for blood, her brown eyes so dark he felt like he was looking into the heart of the Dark Ocean. She didn't even know why Mat was going to die, just that he had hurt Tai and now it was his turn. She had scared the hell out of him that day, and seeing as Mat wouldn't tell him the story until later and then not until after he had made his offer he hadn't had a clue as to what was wrong either. So he had pulled her into a hug. She had fought for a bit but once she realized she wouldn't be getting out she had broken down and cried, telling him what she knew.  
  
Tai had come home with Agumon in tow both looking a little shell shocked. Tai had tear stains on his cheeks and after walking into there room and one violent "Damn it Mat, why?!" she had heard him crying once more. Agumon wouldn't talk about it, except to say that he was impressed about how much Tai had grown up before growling something about Gabumon under his breath and jumping back into the computer. But that was more then enough for Kari it seemed. TK had to whence at the timing of it, he knew better then to upset her that week even if no one else did, he just prayed to God that he never, ever made her that angry at him, he didn't think he would survive it. As it stood only pure dum luck had him staying with this dad and brother that night. He didn't even what to think about what might have happened had he not been there, or had Mat gotten the door.  
  
And now he had to do his best to comfort Tai, who fell to his knees beside him, he looked for Agumon only to find that neither of their digimon had followed. 


	13. E: CW ch 2

All right I don't own Digimon that's the only fact you will read. From here on out, everything else is fiction.  
  
Chapter 2.  
  
Kari stood in shock at the words that had been thrown at her by this new boy. A person whom she had not had any contact with before three days ago. And with only a couple of hours on that one first day. And now three days latter he calls her brother a cowered, her a bitch, Michael a moralistic prick and both Mat and Davis back-stabbers. Now she understood calling Mat that, but the others had her a little confused. That was until she took a look around.  
  
Her stomach gave a little lurch at the sight of Sora and Mat together as the same old litany of 'why's and how could she's' ran though her head, but it was then that she took into account where exactly she was. Once that part made itself known, exactly what Travis had said hit her like a bullet between the eyes.  
  
Her befuddled mind started putting the pieces together. A: She was hugging Davis. B: She had been "playing" with the boys according to Travis. C: her bother would understand just what TK was going though right now. Now A+B+C=... "OH MY GOD! TK!?" She had finely found out why everybody though that she and TK were or would end up together. This mental piecing together had been helped by her remembrance of one occasion when she had seen TK look at her the same way that she had seen her brother look at the picture of Sora he kept in his wallet. A look of longing and resignation. One that she had forced out of her mind because of the implication that it had held.  
  
Her best friend loved her. It was as simple as that. It was that wonderful and it was that horrible. She needed to see him. She didn't know why, or what she would say, or what he would say, but she new that she needed to see him. Something was compelling her and once again she trusted her feelings. It wasn't until she tried to put action to this urge that she realized that something was wrong.  
  
*******  
  
Davis' arms had pulled tighter around Kari the moment her outburst had reached his ears. He couldn't believe it. He had finely won. He had gotten Kari. And now less the five minuets after finely realizing that he was where she belonged, that he was the only one who disserved her, and she was already thinking about TK! It was all that damn Lock's fault. It wasn't bed enough that he had humiliated him with that stupid duel but now he was trying to make him loose Kari now that he had finely gotten her!  
  
He felt her try to run. He closed his arms tighter about her, he would be damned he if he would let her go now. He opened his mouth to tell her that Tai had it under control and that as "His" girl she should go running off after TK like that. Now that he had won he didn't see the need to poke fun having a name that was only two letters long. That was what he and planed until Kari cut him off.  
  
"Davis please, just let me go. *He* needs me." Not even Davis was so dense that he couldn't catch the emphasis on the he in that statement. Davis' heart sank, but hopping he was wrong but knowing that he wasn't, he merely stated that Tai had Travis to help him and that she wasn't needed. He knew he was acting like a jerk. He knew that all he was doing was proving everything that Yoli had ever called him was right, but he couldn't stop. Something within him wouldn't let her go.  
  
Something just kept shouting "MINE!" over and over again. and it was the reaction of that voice in his head, that almost violet "NO!" that it answered to Kari's sobbed "Please, just let me go to him." That made him finally understand something. He didn't love her, he just wanted to own her. Prove to everyone that he was the best. And with that he grew up some, and did the hardiest thing he had ever done.  
  
He let her go.  
  
She had been his obsession. He had been in love with the idea of being in love with her. She was the one every guy wanted, "The unapproachable Kari, the girl no guy could date." She had been a battle he couldn't win, something that Davis never could turn down. Where every other guy had been sacred off by the thought of Tai pounding them, or had asked her friends only to find out that she had "Some guy" on the Internet, he had merely stated that she was his to the whole school and had expected her to see it his way.  
  
As she tore off like a bat out of hell into the woods he thought back to those days and was more then a little upset with himself. The ego boost that he had gotten from that part of the school believing that he had indeed gotten Kari was all he had really wanted from it.  
  
TK's arrival and instant closeness with Kari had put that popularity he had gained at risk, and once everyone figured out that he, TK, had been the "some guy" that Kari had, he had lost it completely. And it had been then, only truly then, that he had started really trying in his campaign to win her heart.  
  
This long look in the mirror, he decided, had come far too late, but now that he knew what he could be, he was going to try to do better for himself and his friends. But mostly he was going to try and be a much better friend to the both of them. 


	14. E: CW ch 3

Now for Davis. I know that some of you may be a little upset with me. It seems to me that most people are of two minds about 02's "goggle head". They are ether like me and think that he is an annoying prick who doesn't know what love is. Or they think that he was really and truly in love with Kari.  
  
I admit that I don't like Davis, the only reason I can put up with him is because of Imperialdramon. I'm not even a big fan of Vemon. So I did what I did just so I could put up with him. His constantly getting TK's name wrong and stalking Kari are the two mane reasons I couldn't stand him. Now that I've gotten rid of at lest one of those problems I might just be able to like him. Now all I've got to do is figure someway to get his digimon, who is just as stupid as he is, to get off its obsession with Gatomon...  
  
Equilibrium: Counter Weight  
  
Chapter three.  
  
Michael had stiffened at Travis words. "So you were used by a girl, it happens all the time." It was true, his former leader would know that all to well. It was just that she had used him. They had been friends and he had started to think that they might be moving into something more then that.  
  
Once they had arrived in the digital world this time, she had been more affectionate then ever before. So much so that he had started having hope for something a bit more. And now he had come to find out that she had done it only because of a guy she had held a flame for since she was twelve.  
  
It was the first time he had ever met Joe. He seemed a nice enough guy. But he started remembering some stories Mimi had told the other NY chosen about her time with the Odiba group. He took a look around, seeing if he could identify who was whom from just the stories.  
  
He got "Izzy" right off the bat. The pineapple computer was a dead giveaway. As far as he could tell Mimi thought of him as her little brother. He had met both TK and Kari his first time back into the digital world so he glossed over them not even noticing that they where no longer in the clearing.  
  
Tai had been easy to pick out, that hair was hard to miss. Besides he was a lot like Davis, just as Mimi had said. He didn't seem as happy or excitable as the stories had made him out to be though. There was an aura of pain the seemed to hang around him like a cloud. Michael knew what had caused that too. Sora.  
  
His eyes moved to the girl his mind had just focussed on. Mimi's best friend. She was tall for a girl, and obviously into sports and her red eyes were a very arresting feature. But there was something about her. It was odd really, it almost seemed like she wasn't happy in her relationship.  
  
How quickly she had jumped to Tai's defense had caught his attention, and it had seemed a bit extreme for mere friendship. As he realized the predicament that both she and Tai had placed themselves in he chuckled a bit. They were as blind as he had been.  
  
He looked back at Joe and Mimi. She loved him. It was obvious in how she clung to him. But it was the way that he held her that made Michael stop for a moment. There was a possessiveness there, the likes of which he had never seen. That was all that stopped him from trying to fight for her. He wasn't sure he would survive it.  
  
He still wondered just what it was about Joe that Mimi liked so much. The guy was a nerd to put it kindly. Tall with shoulder length black hair and glasses, Joe was just simply a brain and he couldn't compare with the son of a famous movie star... and yet she chose him. She had chosen him long before he, Michael, had ever met her.  
  
He needed some time to think, to get away from her, from *him*. Seeing them together was just too much for him to bare at the moment and so he turned on his heel and walked away.  
  
*******  
  
Joe watched as Michael strode away. He tried to shield Mimi from the sight for he knew it would hurt her terribly. He didn't truly understand her reasons, and he doubted that he ever would. And yes he was a bit upset with her because of all of this, but it was obvious that she was punishing herself more then he could ever bring himself to do.  
  
But Michael had been hurt as well, and Joe, with his want to be a doctor, felt that he needed to do something about it. Mimi had cried herself out by know, so asking Izzy to take watch over her for a bit was simple. After seeing that she was taken care of Joe went after the American boy.  
  
*******  
  
Michael walked off into the woods. Away from the group, and away from his pain. Wounded pride. What a terrible thing to lose a friendship over, but it had just happened. He no longer considered Mimi a friend of his. That might change in a few weeks but right now it was too raw, and the last thing he needed was a talking too by her new found nerdy boyfriend.  
  
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be taking care of Mimi?"  
  
*******  
  
Joe followed Michael's path through the foliage and soon came across the blond hared boy and was about the speak when Michael's question bet him to it.  
  
"Your hurting too. I wanted to see if you were alright. You don't need to go through this alone."  
  
"Sure I don't, seeing as I've got friends like Mimi. Just leave me alone Joe."  
  
Joe of coarse didn't listen, he merely took of his glasses and started polishing them. "I'm not going to go away until you talk to me, or at lest promise that your going to talk to someone else. Yes Mimi was wrong to do that too the both of us. I'm sure she had a good reason for doing it, but ending your friendship over something like this will end up doing nothing but hurting both of you."  
  
"I'm not in the mood to be lectured. I've been hurt and you are the ultimate cause of my pain. Leave me before I do something that will end any chance I have of ever patching things up with Mimi."  
  
Joe for his part seemed rather undisturbed by that rather thinly veiled threat as he calmly put his glasses back on and simply stated, "No".  
  
It was too much, his pride in tatters because of this man and his claming of a girl far too good for him. That in and of itself would have been tolerable but now he was mocking him! Michael snarled and lunched him self at the tall med. student only to find himself flat on his back staring dazedly into the shocked eyes of a certain strawberry-blond headed girl. 


	15. E: CW ch 4

Damn that last chapter blew goats! Why is it that things always seem cooler in your head then when you put it down in words? I'm sure that how to make it at lest a little better will come to me some time in the next few chapters and I'll do one of my revisions on it, at lest I hope I will.  
  
My guess is the biggest problem was the fact that both Joe and Michael were never really developed all that well in the US version of the show, I like both of them but they aren't me in any way so I've got a hard time writing them... I just need the tapes or something so I can get the feel for the characters again. They are a little to idealized in my head now adays I think...  
  
Now I've got to work on the brains... Izzy and Willis god help me, I'm bad but not nearly THAT bad... Plus I need to do Cody and that is going to take some doing, that boy just seems a little too... cold... I guess would be the word. Then I've got Yoli trying to get her feelings in focus and Ken's emotional scars and then get Travis back in here as well as getting to where exactly the digimon have been this whole time...  
  
This is either going to be a heck of a lot of fun, or its going to blow up in my face. Either way I hope I'm keeping you entertained. -Flameraven  
  
I DO own Digimon, and some ocean front property in Arizona as well as the Golden Gate bridge and all the gold in California so there!  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Three pairs of eyes watched the soap opera that was the lives of the other digidestined with three completely different points of view.  
  
Izzy the eldest owner of a pair of toughs eyes sighed, wishing people were as easy to understand as computers.  
  
Cody the younger owner of the other set of brown eyes looked on in fascination as most of it went right over his head.  
  
Willis' blue eyes took it all in, he was the most mature of the three observers even if he was the smartest, his relationships with people were much more in-depth then the other two.  
  
Willis shock his head and starred off towards where Travis had left, his old leader never lost his cool like that and he began to wander just what demons one who had lived nearly half his life in the digital world would have been forced to face in that fog.  
  
It was Cody who discovered the missing digimon, as he had done what he normally did and had tried to ask Armadillomon a question about what everyone was so upset about when he found that his friend wasn't even there.  
  
By this time only himself, Willis, and Davis seemed to be in any condition to do anything about there digimon's disappearance left in the clearing. Izzy had a funny expression on his face as he stood there after Mimi had left him. standing dazed ever sense she gave him a kiss on his cheek before making her escape, that was something the Cody still didn't quite understand. And Ken and Yoli seemed to be bit distracted.  
  
Now this wasn't a good thing, without their digimon they had almost no protection in the digital world as it seemed only Travis had somehow managed to get a weapon. Izzy was forced to theorize that it had something to do with his crest being so dark, and he hoped it wasn't something similar to Ken's dark digivice.  
  
The more he thought of that connection the more it seemed to fit, Travis' digimon had a demon as its champion level and then had a corrupted angel type as its Ultimate level, he shuddered to think what its Mega might be. Ken's digimon was a virus type as well, the connection was there he was about to voice his opinion when Willis beat him to it.  
  
*******  
  
Willis thought back to what he had seen. Travis had said that there had only been the four of them the first time and he had never known his leader to lie, but there was something else, something that he just couldn't seem to remember.  
  
"Izzy, do you remember how many kids were in the legend?"  
  
Caught totally off guard by a question so far away from the one that he himself was going to ask Izzy started for a moment before opening his mouth to answer, only to be cut off by Tentomon.  
  
"There were five... oh. Where is she?" now by this time Izzy was getting a bit annoyed that no one was letting him talk so before anything else could happen he simply demanded where his partner had been.  
  
*******  
  
Willis stood there in shock as Izzy and his digimon talked. She... Tentomon had said *She* why couldn't he remember! He closed his blue eyes, trying to focus on the past, the past before the virus, before Diaboromon.  
  
He was almost there, he could remember a older dark-haired girl... She was like him, her crest causing pain... no not pain, Death... She was close to Travis, he protected her, opened up to her more then he did for the rest of us... But she was, gone... The last battle she had tried to stop Travis from... "Sara!"  
  
*******  
  
Yoli was caught off guard by both Willis outburst, Ken's sudden stiffening and Terriormon's falling off of Willis' head on top of his brother Lopmon. As well as Hawkmon's polite chuckling. What a minuet Hawkmon?  
  
"Where have you been?!?" She yelled, only to have it over ridden by Ken's gasp of "Sara?" she completely ignored here digimon's response as a sudden fit of jealousy swamped her, the way he said that name. she had mente something to him, something important.  
  
*******  
  
Ken had been sobbing, he had thought that he had finally gotten over this. That he had finally faced this when MaloMyotismon had hit him with his crimson mist. But that fog, that fog had made him relive everything as a spectator who could do nothing but yell at his younger self as it made a mockery of all that had stood for and now stands for.  
  
He was undeserving of love, of compassion, he had caused nothing but pain in his life. First his brother, then the digimon he enslaved. He didn't deserve friends or love and yet... yet he had Davis and her...  
  
She was holding onto him, whispering soothing nothings into his ear, he couldn't understand it. He may be a genius but the actions of people were still incomprehensible to him. Why? why would she have anything to do with him? He was a monster, a monster who almost destroyed two worlds with his arrogance.  
  
And yet she held him, soothed him. Cared for him like only one person had ever done before... That caught him off guard, before the seed, before Sam... his mother had all but ignored him, and after he hadn't cared, so who could have cared for him?  
  
That was when he heard Willis say a name, a name he knew, a name that he had repressed deep within himself.... "Sara."  
  
He felt Yoli stiffen next to him, but he didn't have the time to figure out why, he turned to his old partner, his old... friend... yes they had been friends, both of them and been very lowly for two completely different reasons and as such had become very close during there time together in the digital world.  
  
His eyes locked with Willis and then as one they both looked towards were Travis had left. And as one they stated, "No wonder he never came back".  
  
*******  
  
Izzy, Yoli and Cody and now Davis were all now very confused by there friends odd behavior as they too looked the way the two older digidestined were looked at, almost expecting someone to appear out of nowhere or something. Finally it was Yoli who got fed up with this and demanded to know just what the heck they were talking about.  
  
Willis and Ken looked at each other and then at the irate girl in front of them before side-stepping the question and asking there digimon where they had been. Tentomon gave a much put upon sigh and stated that this was going to be the last time he said this before launching into his story once again.  
  
*******  
  
Somewhere else in the digital world and young man regains conciseness and the first the he is made aware of is the pain. His brain seemed to be doing the damnedest to get out the back of his head, he groaned wishing for the oblivion of sleep to clam him once again, but knowing that it wasn't going to happen he opened his light blue eyes, only to find himself staring into two deep blue eyes less then an inch away from his face. And with that he promptly screamed. 


	16. E: CW ch 5

Herm... ok, ok, ok... I know I shouldn't have given Serpentmon free rain with that last disclaimer... Now I've got to put up TWO! *grumbles things about stupid digital garter snakes*  
  
Ok I do NOT own digimon nor do I own the song All the Gold in California, or much of anything else for that matter, despite what Travis' partner put down in the last chapter.  
  
I think he was just trying to get back at me for not having him IN the last chapter, its all good now though. I got him to go back in the 'puter, at lest I hope I did, Travis is a bit bigger then I am and I don't really want to get bonked by that shield...  
  
Thanks for the reviews. I've taken most of them too heart and I've tried... I really have its just hard for me, stupid learning difference... I'm glad that someone thinks this is one of the better ficks out there, (you have no idea how much of an ego boost that is!) but there are a lot of very good ones that put this little story o'mine to shame. But as long as I'm keeping at lest one person entertained I'm happy.  
  
-Flameraven.  
  
Chapter 5.  
  
The deep blue eyes that had been starting so intently into his own suddenly flew back as in a blur of orange and white, as it too screamed right back at him.  
  
"DON'T DO THAT!" the young man screamed at the small digimon as his brain finally started working once again. "Are you TRYING to give me a heart attack?!?" the teen took a look around as the digimon responded with a rather indignant "no".  
  
He noted that he was in a dungeon of some sort, his crest was on a table in the far corner as was his D-3. The table and the corner where both, unfortunately, on the other side of some rather strong looking bars... it was then that he noticed both the fact that he was shackled to the wall and that his cell mate had somehow managed to slip from his own bonds.  
  
*******  
  
Tai had regained his composure, the leader once again, with almost no trace of his brake down left visible. He starred out at the digital world, a world that he had lived in and saved on numerous occasions in his life, but one he never truly understood.  
  
He thought back to the days after their return after killing Myotismon for the secant time, and after their first introduction to the Dark Masters. He remembered Mat's leaving, his need to 'find himself' and he decided that he needed to do that himself.  
  
The girl from the fog haunted him, Sora was lost to him now, any hope he had still within him had been shattered by her immediate running to Mat. He had lost her and whether it was because he was an idiot who should have told her the truth about how he felt long ago or weather she never felt the same about him in the first place was immaterial now.  
  
He had to leave.  
  
To get away from her, away from him. And away from all his failures over the years. He wasn't needed anymore. The destined had Lock and as such a leader. Davis could do it too, as could TK...  
  
"TK... Take care of her for me. I'm going to be gone for a little bit. There is something I need to do, I need to see, on my own. Don't fallow me and don't worry. Travis will keep everyone together as long as he has you to help him out. Don't let me down." Tai then took a deep breath and turned to look at the younger brother of his rival and best friend. The boys young face showed both fear and determination and Tai knew the arguments before they even came.  
  
"What do you mean 'on your own'? You can't leave us Tai! You remember what happened last time you left us!"  
  
The words stung even though he knew they were coming. After he had left the DD's had disintegrated as a team. But something else had happened, something that TK always overlooked.  
  
"Yes every bodies crest activated."  
  
TK looked shocked. It was all Tai could do to hold his laughter in when the younger distend was standing there with such a perplexed look on his face.  
  
"You never Thought of that did you, TK?" it was more of a statement then a question. "The crests were activated alone. Mine, Mat's, Sora's. Even yours and Kari's were activated alone TK."  
  
Tai then sighed before glancing back over his shoulder at the blue-eyed boy. "I think this is going to be the same type of thing. We are going to get stronger and as such we are going to be forced on our own once again." and with that the barrier of the crest of courage started to walk off.  
  
TK watched him go, as Agumon suddenly seemed to materialize at Tai's side. The holder of hope saw a flash of pink as Biyomon walked off, crying and didn't quite know how to take that, he had thought that she and Gabumon were together. And then he heard his name being yelled.  
  
Turning the blond-haired boy was almost knocked off his feet as the angel of light ran into him and pulled him into a fierce embrace.  
  
*******  
  
Gatomon walked from the impromptu powwow the digimon had held after the fog. All had been there except for serpentmon. And that had suited her just fine.  
  
Gatomon wasn't quite sure how to react to the snake being on her side. He had been, as Balormon, a constant thorn in Myotismon's side for as long as she could remember. And on more then one occasion a loss to him as resulted in a beating. But he hadn't been the focus of there conference.  
  
His partner had been.  
  
Travis Lock, the first digidistend. The legends surrounding him were astounding. It was said that he cheated death itself to save the digital world. He had powers that only she had seen, powers that the others needed to know.  
  
Kari could charge one digimon to a high power level for a short period of time, as shown when WarGraymon killed MachineDramon. The legends surrounding the crest of hope make it seem as if TK should be able to support multiple digimon at one time, but only be able to digivolve one himself. Faith though... faith can rase an army.  
  
Myotismon's army has suffered setback after setback as a other army, one led by a unbelievably powerful champion, had attacked constantly. Large masses of champion level digimon with even more rookie level backup had done hit and fades keeping her 'lord and master's' attention away from the chosen children until after Etemon had been killed.  
  
Even then Myotismon had only been able to spare an idiot to try and keep their crests from glowing. An idiot that not only failed in his mission. But acutely managed to help them too glow.  
  
All thanks to Travis.  
  
Tentomon had found it amusing that Faith had kept a vampire at bay and light had destroyed it. He clamed it was very similar to legends in the real world. Gatomon didn't know what to think. He was an ally now, but in the past he had tried to destroy her.  
  
She had faced him once in battle, and had screamed in agony as his "perdition's flame" attack had engulfed her small body the damage had been so grate that she had been forced back to Salamon because of it. As a rookie she had stared him down has his clawed hand was rapped around her.  
  
She had stared into those blood red orbs and seen her death, and she had embraced it. Anything to get away from Myotismon... only for him to demand why she wasn't a BlackGatomon in her champion form.  
  
To this day she still doesn't know what she responded with, but whatever it was she got to live past his attack, only to receive the x slash on her right paw to go with the one on her left. Such was the compassion of Myotismon.  
  
Lost in her thoughts she nearly tripped over the unconscious form of the very digimon she had just been thinking about. Leaning down to pick the small snake up, she heard Patamon call for her, saying he had found both TK's and Travis' hats. Taking the snake digimon over towards his voice she found the hats alright, but no Patamon...  
  
Grabbing them both she bolted towards Kari's presence hopping she was alright. 


	17. E: CW ch 6

All righty, I've got Tai leaving off on his own, a missing Travis and Patamon... a KOed Serpentmon, and a knocked on his ass by Joe, Michael. Guess I need to either get back to what I've started or jump into Sora and Mat's heads... Guess I could do some of both. I think Sora and Mat are the only ones I haven't hit on in a while at any rate... I could be wrong.  
  
-Flameraven  
  
I still don't own Digimon nor do I own any tapes or the movie or the sound track or any of the toys... (walks off ranting about what he doesn't own involving digimon.)  
  
Chapter 6.  
  
Sora watched with an odd detachment to everything that was happening around her. She new she was in a state of shock, the words that Travis had said to both her and Kari had stuck a cord in the young red-head as did the words he had spoken about Tai and to Mat and Davis.  
  
That little voice in her head that had appeared during her time with Tai was bubbling over in glee as it kept saying "I told you so!" over and over again like a mantra, and she couldn't get the thing to shut up!  
  
But worst of all, she had come to realize it was right. It had told her so and she had ignored it. Tai loved her... Tai *loved* her and as more the just a friend! She didn't know weather to laugh or cry at the realization.  
  
She had finality figured it out after all this time because of Kari. How sad was that? The barer of the crest of love needed someone else to put the pieces together for her to do the same. And she had been given more to go on by Travis then Kari had. Only she couldn't run to Tai like Kari had done for TK.  
  
She had made a commitment to Mat. And she was happy... wasn't she?  
  
*******  
  
Mat felt as if he had been sucker-punched. Travis words bounced around in his head, accusation after accusation kept reverberating with in the depths of his mind. He tried to deny them, blank them out or demand that for once in his life didn't *he* deserve a little happiness?  
  
But the arguments sounded hallow even to himself. He had just seen every other time he had ever abused his friendship with Tai and the first thing he did was hold the girl he knew... he *knew*! Tai had a thing for, right in front of him and he had clung to her like his life depended on it. He was a bastard, a bastard who didn't deserve to have friends. But still he clung to Sora. He clung to her as he watched the other holder of friendship let Kari go to his little brother, and his grip tightened as he waited for the other shoe to drop, for Sora to leave him like everyone else had. To leave *him* and go to Tai.  
  
But she didn't.  
  
Instead she curled up tighter into him and sobbed against his chest. He was elated, she wasn't going to leave him, at long last he had finally bested Tai in something. Sora had chosen him over Tai and the almost overwhelming pride that hit him almost made him retch right then and there.  
  
When had he gotten so cold?  
  
When had he become his father?  
  
And why in hell was he damning both himself and Sora to his parents relationship?  
  
He didn't know, he couldn't stop, and, the worst part was, he really didn't care. That scared him, that fact scared him more then all the evil digimon combined ever could have. And that was when he saw her.  
  
Biyomon. The small pink bird looked as if it was crying as it ran towards them, before hugging Sora's leg and whiling at the top of her lounges that 'they' were gone.  
  
*******  
  
Michael sat there looking into Mimi's stunned eyes and he realized that she was just as stocked as he was that Joe could have done that too him. But the shock soon receded as anger took its place. It wasn't enough for this boy to have taken Mimi's heart but now he had to fallow him, attack his pride, and then make a fool out of him right in front of her!  
  
He of coarse glossed over the fact that he had supposedly stopped caring about her only moments before, and reached to the bed of stone that he and landed close too. A lone thin oddly shaped stone seemed to call to him and the azure glow that surrounded him as he touched it and drew forth the Blade of Honor told him all he needed to know.  
  
*******  
  
Gatomon ran as fast as she could towards Kari's presence, her movements seemed to be jerky enough to wake the small digimon in her paws as he rode in a bed made from a black fedora and a Gillagen style sea hat. She only became aware of his coherence as he spoke right as she burst into the clearing were the angles of Hope and Light were holding each other.  
  
"I'm ssssorry Gatomon... had we... had I... known who you were we never would have attacked like that..." the small green serpent crocked out. Gatomon looked down in surprise before asking the question that had immediately formed in her mind.  
  
"How did you..."  
  
"...Know that it was you?" The rookie asked. At her nod of assent he startled her with his simple answer. "Who else's eyes could hold so much pain?" and with that he slipped once more into the blissful land of Nod. 


	18. E: CW ch7

Wow 22,800 words... I can't believe I hit a round number with the last chapter. And I'm sorry it was so short it seemed a lot longer when I read it and it was either my shortest or secant shortest chapter so far, oh well.  
  
I'm most likely going to have to put this up to R soon as blood and guts and real fights are on the way. If y'all presser me I might try, I emphasize TRY some deeper romance that could bump it up all the way. I've never written anything like that before and I have VERY little experience to draw upon in that regard so I'm more then a little hesitant to try.  
  
I do read a hell of a lot so I should have picked up something though, wouldn't you think?  
  
All right, the moment you've all been waiting for is about to arrive. The intro of Sara. Now all I've got to do is figure out what digimon she has... yes, yes I know. Sad isn't it?  
  
-Flameraven  
  
I don't own digimon. Nor do I own any digimon... really...  
  
Chapter 7.  
  
The shackled boy was about to demand how his cell mate had gotten free when the small orange and white digimon's ear twitched ever so slightly. He flew back towards the single manacle that was lying on the ground before squeezing into it and puffing up just a bit as Travis looked on incredulously.  
  
'They tried to shackle a digimon who can expand using just that? How sad.' Travis thought to himself as he fought to keep a smile off his face as he now had heard the footsteps that had alerted TK's partner to their arriving company.  
  
He turned his head to watch the door only to see a girl that was perfect for his tastes staring right back at him. She was beautiful, creamy white skin, long flaming red hair and her eyes were a deep emerald green. He knew he was staring, and he also new that she would try to use it against him, so he wrenched his eyes off of her only to discover too late that doing so was a mistake.  
  
His eyes facetted on the other person to enter the room and he new he was lost. She was darker then her companion, a light coppery tan with hair as black as a ravens wing and soft sea-green eyes that seemed to see into his very soul. His mouth went dry, his hands started to sweat and he could swear that he could feel his brain starting to turn to mush as he looked into those eyes.  
  
But somehow his now semi-gelatinous brain made a connection with one of his most treasured memories. Trying desperately to hide her effect on him he spoke in his best emotionless monotone. "Hello Sara." And then felt his heart swell as she smiled at him.  
  
One thought echoed in the remnants of his once superior mind. 'No good can come of this...'  
  
********  
  
The ebony tressed girl smiled at her prisoner's filmy attempts to control his body. He had grown up rather well and her smile turned predatory. He would work with her and perhaps something more, but one way or the other he would be hers. Time to start this show.  
  
"Travis." She said inclining her head slightly, he eyes dancing with mischief. "So nice of you to drop by." Her rather lame joke was reworded when the corners of his mouth twitched ever so slightly. So that was to be his game? Well she had broken him when they were eight and merely friends; this would be so much easier.  
  
With a soft smile she placed her hand against his slightly furred cheek, as she stared into his eyes she watched them go from a steely gray to a glorious sky-blue and she knew she was in control.  
  
"My dear, sweet, Travis. I've missed you." she cooed up at him, before going on her tip-tows and kissing him with a passion that surprised both of them.  
  
*******  
  
Patamon looked on with interest. Travis had been going through the same things that TK always seemed too around Kari but in a much faster rate. The kiss startled him, as did the fact that both partes involved seemed to have forgotten that anyone else was in the room.  
  
Slightly embarrassed the rookie level digimon looked to the one identified as 'Sara's companion. He assumed she would be considered pretty but human standers, but she didn't hold his interest for long.  
  
He glanced back over towards where Travis' crest and D-3 were lying. If Gatomon was correct in what she had seen and Travis hadn't just somehow recruited an army that crest would be their ticket out of here. Now just how was he to get it?  
  
*******  
  
The redhead looked on in interest, taking mental notes as her leader continued to work on the poor boy. Tai would be coming soon and once she had him rapped around her little finger the rest of the so called 'heroes' would be easy pickings. She chuckled slightly to herself as her Agumon walked in to report that the first of the 'armaments' had been found.  
  
*******  
  
Joe had acted on pure instinct. He had years of judo training as he had vowed to never be left defenseless ever again after all that he had gone through in the digital world. What he hadn't expected was Mimi to arrive just as he did it, nor for Michael to somehow turn a normal if oddly eroded stone into a blue rapier!  
  
The pain as its wickedly sharp point entered his shoulder was blinding. He felt as if all his nerves were on fire. Mimi's scream was all that kept him conscious. Forcing his eyes to focus he saw his attack approach Mimi, the tip of his sword still dripping with his blood, but the fear in her eyes was all that it took. No one will ever make her afraid again.  
  
*******  
  
Mimi had ditched Izzy by giving him a little peck on the cheek, it had been too easy, only to arrive just into to see Joe, her Joe, flip Michael like he weighed nothing with one hand. If she hadn't of been so shocked she would have been proud. But once Michael had hit the ground he had reached for a rock to use as a weapon, and somehow had changed that rock into a sword.  
  
She had stood helplessly has she watched one of her closest friends run her love through, and then he started after her. His blade dripping crimson and almost seeming to glow with a slight red light. His hand was out to her, and he was speaking. She knew that, his mouth was moving but she couldn't her anything, only once thought kept racing through her mind.  
  
'Joe is dead, Joe is dead.'  
  
And then suddenly he was there, attacking despite his wounded arm, she called to him only to watch him fall once more, her scream of desperation was answered however as Joe's attacker got more then he bargained for.  
  
*******  
  
Izzy's head snapped around at Biyomon's wail and he felt his heart turn to ice in his chest. The direction she had come from was where TK, Kari, Travis, and Tai had all run too. The idea that the 'They' she was referring too was all of them would mean that four of the five strongest digidistend could well be MIA.  
  
That was bad yes, but that wasn't what made his heart almost stop, oh no. It was the fact that one of those missing could be Tai.  
  
Izzy had a funny feeling that this time, he wouldn't be able to send a out a distress call telling Tai NOT to comeback for him to do just the opposite this time. He looked at Sora and Mat, mentally damning them for making their leader leave just when he knew they were going to need him most.  
  
That was when he realized that with both Tai and Travis missing that either Davis or Mat would most likely lead.  
  
He mentally snorted at that one. But then something hit him, a connection in the pattern and a dark on at that. Travis had 'never come back', Tai had just left and Davis was standing there looking very lost.  
  
All because of girls.  
  
It was almost as if to wear the goggles, was to be cursed.  
  
*******  
  
Ken and Willis looked down at the two younger destined, but they could feel their resolve braking down, not even the sobbing of a certain pink digimon was enough to brake the intense stares. And to make matters worse all three of their own digimon as well as Armadillomon and Hawkmon where doing the same.  
  
As Yolie asked for the fifth time, "What do you mean by that?" Ken finally buckled and, with some help from Willis, told the story. A story of love, betrayal, and death. A story of death that was both cheated and embraced, and how a boy of eight had become a man far, far too soon. 


	19. E: CW ch8

Ok, I'm going to delve back into the head of Travis for most if not all of this chapter. So its going to be first person like the first two chapters of the first part. Tell me if ya like it or if ya hate it so I'll know weather or not to do this again.  
  
-Flameraven  
  
Too paraphrase Mark Twain, the news of my ownership of Digimon has been greatly exaggerated.  
  
Chapter 8.  
  
She was kissing me.  
  
Sara, the girl that gave me my first glimpse of heaven; the reason for my personal hell, was kissing me. It didn't make any sense, she should have been yelling at me, cursing me or trying to kill me.  
  
But she wasn't, she was kissing me. And I was kissing her right back.  
  
That's what got me, I think. I'd never been kissed before. I'd been with girls, fooled around a bit, but I'd never kissed one. The act itself seemed too intimate, too special to do with someone I didn't love and so I never did. And now I find myself in a lip-lock with a girl who by all rights should be out for my blood and I'm loving it. I'm loving her.  
  
God help me, but I'm in love with her.  
  
God help us all if I'm right about what she has become.  
  
The human mind is a interesting thing. I swear I felt mine shut down the moment she walked into the room. All higher brain functions ceased. It was a novel experience to say the least, one that I never wish to go through ever again.  
  
Her lips were like a balm though. It gave me the kick-start I needed and my mind started working at levels I never knew existed. I'm sure I could have told you the meaning of life in that once instant, and I would have been correct too.  
  
I finally, after all these years, understood why Tai and TK do what they do with their respective mates. Why they sacrifice their own happiness again and again. They are bigger men then I. Better men then I will ever be.  
  
I've spent over a decade in real years looked for this, for her. Nearly twelve years searching desperately for a miracle to relieve my guilt. She left me, all those years ago because I was a cowered who couldn't except my fate.  
  
Can you imagine that? The holder of the crest of faith, a child who has been a baptized member of his church, who made public profession of faith by his own free will by the age of seven, as too big a cowered to go home to God?  
  
She went in my stead.  
  
And that was when my brain finally admitted what I had been trying so desperately to deny. Sara was dead, I watched her get deleted with my own eyes, so how could she be here, now, with me?  
  
I wrenched away from the kiss, set on demanding to know how she could be here. At this point I was halfway convinced I had finally gone over the edge and lost my mind completely. The only reason I wasn't sure that was the case was because I was worried I might be insane, and that didn't seem like something an insane person would do.  
  
"Why?" was what came out though. I'm not even sure what I was asking with that question. Why was she kissing me? That was a good one, or perhaps why I had been knocked unconscious. There were a million WHY's that I could have mente and her answer didn't help much.  
  
"Because I wanted too." I nodded my head like a fool, thinking 'thanks love, that was real helpful.' But I wisely kept that to myself. My brain might still have been fried as I was finding out much to my chagrin but I wasn't quite THAT stupid. I felt something though, something that I hadn't let myself feel in a long, long time.  
  
Tears.  
  
I was about to cry. All over the inane statement of 'Because I wanted too.' Of all things. I hadn't cried at the lost of my dog, or my mother or Aunt or Grandmother. I had cried all my tears long ago in the world that I'm now trapped.  
  
Death had become a companion of sorts, it no longer got to me. But now the one who I took that companion from, the one who I cried those tears over, was back and all the pain I had held inside came out.  
  
It was humiliating, and it was refreshing at the same time. Once I was done I felt free, like some burden had been lifted off of me. And it was then, only then that I saw it. My fears confirmed.  
  
God help me, and God help the world. For the women I love is in league with the enemy. The crest around her companions neck. That of a solar eclipse was all I needed to know.  
  
There were legends around this world. Prophesies that even I haven't seen. Nega-destined, anti-destined; things like that are all to common. But then why not? When your saviors have one thing, shouldn't your enemies as well?  
  
Angels and Demons, Viri and Vaccine. Jesus and the Anti-Christ. Hell the light and dark sides of the force. Where there is one, there must be the other. I told Serpentmon all about this.  
  
God I hate being right all the time.  
  
Now all I've got to do is figure out what the hell her crest means...  
  
Tai, her operant opposite... well I think he is her opposite, he has a sun, and she as an eclipse. But his opposite could be the moon or something...  
  
I shook my head to clear it. That kiss must have rattled me bad if I'm babbling in my own damn head. I have to think, have to plan. And I've got to get the hell out of dodge so too speak.  
  
She leaned in to kiss me once again, it didn't have the need of the first one, this was softer, sweeter... but just as addictive.  
  
I've got to get out of here and soon, or I wont want to leave, wont be able to leave. I have to make a chouse. Light or dark, good or evil. It is time I take my first stand since I damned myself.  
  
And I chouse redemption.  
  
The moment her lips left mine this time I opened my mouth to speak. Her slight smile told me she thought she had won. I smiled inwardly at that. I've changed too, in the past eleven years, Sara. I sent my apologies to Patamon before doing what I'm hopping the others will be able to do soon.  
  
Activated my crest.  
  
You see, the crests are not those gems that I gave out, or even mine laying over on that table over there. No, they rest in our hearts. The wave after mine sacrificed that part of themselves. Something I know I could never have done.  
  
My gray aura razed around me, and reached to Patamon. I let him do what he, for so long, couldn't even with TK. His big blue eyes went wide as he felt the barrier that was always there leave him.  
  
As I looked back into the eyes of the woman who had so easily stolen my heart, the one who's loss I had damned my soul over. Those soft green eyes turned to garnets in an instant as she heard what I had done aloud.  
  
"Patamon digivolve too..." 


	20. E: CW ch9

Hello, so what did ya all think of that last chapter huh? I hope ya liked it, I thought it turned out rather well. The first person stuff will be explained at the end. I'm still racking my brain for Sara's digimon. might have to make one up for her, every one else besides Lock has a real one so that's not so bad, a Succubus maybe? What do ya think?  
  
-I still don't own it. If I did 01/02 would still be going on with new episodes, Tai would be with Sora. (What's up with me anyway? I'm a massive Taiora fan and I've still got her with Matt....) and TK or better yet Kari would have beat some sense into Davis by now. Oh and Travis would have been on the show.  
  
Oh the offer still stands if you wish to use him or Serpentmon just give me a footnote or something. An e-mail would be nice too just so I could see the cameo...  
  
Chapter 9.  
  
Kari's scream of "TAI!" echoed through the trees. The boy who's crest bared the symbol of the sun stopped at the sound. He knew he couldn't dare look back or this little venture would be doomed before it even started.  
  
He smiled a little at the knowledge that Kari and come for TK, but that smile had a melancholy tent to it. Kari had come for TK, but Sora hadn't come for him. She had been his rock in the digital world, and for most of his life she was always there. But now, now she was with Matt, always with Matt. With his resins reaffirmed he did the secant hardiest thing he had ever done in his life.  
  
He took the next step.  
  
He didn't wave, he didn't glance back, or call out 'I'll be fine'. He simply walked on as his sister cried out for him in vain. The only thing that had ever came close to hurting this much was when he had walked away and let Sora go to Matt with out saying what he had come to say...  
  
He was such a cowered.  
  
He just hoped that once this was over he would finally be past that.  
  
He had no real idea as to where he was going, or even what he was looking for. A weapon like Travis' perhaps, but what good would a weapon do him? He was a partner to one of the strongest mega level digimon there was. A weapon would be pointless.  
  
Matt had left, on a journey like this one. He had left 'to find myself.' And the next time Tai had seen his rival/best-friend Matt had tried to kill him. Not so much him really, but a part of his soul. His partner.  
  
A part of Tai hated Matt. Hated the blond with a passion. For taking Sora, for standing in his way, for all the crap he had pulled in the digital world. But Tai knew, even if Matt didn't that most of that hate was more like a relationship that they both had seen before.  
  
Matt was Ogremon to his Liomon. Or perhaps he was Ogremon to Matt's Liomon seeing as he had lost in the end. It didn't matter anymore. With this step that he had just taken, leaving his baby sister in the care of one who truly loved her he had walked away from that life.  
  
But even with that relationship, that bond. Matt had never opened up and fully told him what had happened to make him do what he did. He hoped that he wouldn't do the same. But then attacking your friends went against friendship didn't it? What would he do? Run away like the cowered he is?  
  
He shook his head to clear out all those thoughts. They were nothing but 'what might have biens' and the past. He no longer had time for the past.  
  
The girl from the fog was his future, at lest temporarily. If she loved him like it seemed she clamed then maybe he could finally find some lasting balm for his battered, burned and bleeding heart.  
  
He did regret dragging Agumon with him though. His digimon partner didn't deserve to be taken from *his* love just because Tai couldn't deal with the chouse that Sora had made.  
  
He had seen Biyomon as she ran crying from them. He had seen the look on Agumon's face. His partner was angry with him. It was something that Tai wasn't used to. But then he guessed he never really thought about digimon falling in love.  
  
He didn't know if it was a normal thing for digimon, or if it was only because the ones he knew well were all partnered. He only new that his digimon, the part of his soul that possessed his courage had gotten with Sora's.  
  
He still didn't know how that was possible. Sora was with Matt, not him, but her digimon was with his not Matt's. It was very confusing. Either he was wrong, and with his bond to Agumon he couldn't believe that, or Sora had come to a compromise within herself.  
  
She loved both he and Matt equally, and so Matt got her and Agumon got Biyomon.  
  
He was convinced he got the short end of that stick. Not that he would wish his best friend unhappiness but damn it, why couldn't *HE* be the one who was happy for once?  
  
And so he had taken this path. He would travel this as far as he could, hoping to forget about what he had left behind. Kari no longer needed him, TK had done a better job then he in the first place.  
  
His mind of coarse went to Sora. He prayed that she would be ok. But a small part of him, a snide little voice whispered a truth that he didn't want to face.  
  
The fact that if she got hurt, she might finally realize just how much she needed him in her life.  
  
Sighing deeply, he shook such thoughts out of his head. The idea of harm coming to Sora was enough to make him ill. He did make himself one promise though.  
  
Not matter what he found, no matter what he did. If Matt let her get hurt, or if he hurt her in any way. He would make the bastard pay, and pay dearly.  
  
*******  
  
Kari watched with disbelieving eyes, as her brother walked away with not so much as a backwards glance. The fact that he was leaving just didn't want to register. Tai had always been there. He was her landmark. By simply existing he provided a sense of security in whatever world she was living in at the time.  
  
And now he was gone.  
  
The only other time she had ever felt this vulnerable, this alone, was when the dark ocean had reached out for her. Tai's name had been the first one off her lips, a plea for help that came as instinct to her.  
  
She felt the first stinging of unshed tears as two worm arms rapped themselves around her. TK's murmured words were soothing, and she latched on to the only other constat left to her. TK was her guardian angel even more then Gatomon. He had looked over her when she was sick, and had saved her from both Piedmon and the dark ocean when Tai could not.  
  
She turned in his arms, burrowing into his warmth. Her sobbed plea of "Why?" was answered but his simple, "I think you know Kari, I think you know." And indeed she did. But that knowledge didn't make her feel any better, nor did that fact that she knew that TK must have gone through the same pain just a few moments ago.  
  
And that was when something hit her, something that she had been too distracted to take note of earlier.  
  
"Umm, TK. where's Travis?"  
  
"Gone." Was the reply, but it did not come from the boy who was holding her. Spinning once more in his embrace, unwilling to leave the strange security she had found there. Kari came face to face with her other guardian angel.  
  
She then saw Serpentmon's head peek out of the hats that Gatomon held in her paws. The small green snake looked right at TK and something passed between them. Kari felt TK bow his head and his whole body tensed up.  
  
She was drown tighter into his embrace and if he was scared that at any moment she too might leave like her brother. At that was when she realized what that silent exchange mente. Whom ever had taken Lock, had taken Patimon too.  
  
"We have to tell the others." Was all she said as she gabbed his hand and headed off in the direction that they had come. She watched with some amazement and a small bit of revulsion as Serpentmon moved to TK and wound himself around the boys arm.  
  
TK for his part seemed to take it in stride and after taking back his hat from Gatomon and grabbing Travis' as well picked up the pace. They broke through the foliage hand in hand just in time to hear the last bit of arguing from the group seated in the clearing.  
  
There shocked glances turned to Serpentmon who quite calmly stated the answer to there unspoken question. "Sssso now you know. You do not truly know what having blood on your hands really means children of hope and light.  
  
"Pray it stays like that" 


	21. E: CW ch10

I don't remember if I've done this anytime recently so I'm going to do it now. Thanks for everyone who has reviewed so far. I hope that I've been keeping you entertained.  
  
I know you might be a little upset with me for all the cliffys that I've been doing. I had like six or something at one time at one point. I'm going to resolve most those. But this is going to be a really big muti-part thing. I'm going to be doing the jumping around that I have been. And I'm going to be introducing a lot of new characters.  
  
Have fun I am.  
  
-Flameraven  
  
Look at the last chapter I'm to lazy to think of summing that I find witty, its 4 in the morning and I really should be in bed...  
  
Chapter 10.  
  
Tears.  
  
Strange thing tears. Tears are shed in pain and in joy, for the good and the bad. Tears can humble the proud and reduce strong men to nothing. They are a tool and they are an indulgence, a strength and a weakness.  
  
Mimi new this all too well. For the first eleven years of her life tears were just a tool to get something, one more thing for the pampered princess. She had grown sense then.  
  
The first unselfish tear she had ever cried had been because of Myotismon. Her father, a very unassuming man had tried to be a hero and had been hurt because of it.  
  
She had cried a single tear because she couldn't do anything to stop it. For the first time her heart had been for someone else, the mask she used to keep herself safe from a world that could and would abuse her true tender self, had finally come off.  
  
The result had been Lillymon, a powerful pixie Ultimate level digimon. The next stage up and one steep closer to Mimi's true soul. Now once again Mimi's tears flowed. Not for herself, but for her love, and for a friend who is now gone.  
  
Michael wasn't there anymore, at lest not in her eyes. The boy approaching her now was nothing more then a stranger and a murderer. He smiled at her as he approached. He knows how much of a pacifist she was. He had been her leader in New York for nearly four years.  
  
But she wasn't the one who attacked. Joe, was suddenly there, his wounded arm dangling uselessly at his side, and a fire in his eyes. He attacked with the ferocity that all males have when protecting their mate but fell down hard as the pommel of Michael's sword found its mark.  
  
Mimi's desperate scream filled the air, as for the first time she sincerely wished, with all her soul, that the one who would dare do such harm to one that she loved would pay. And pay harshly.  
  
"Thorn Whip!" the called surprised both her and the boy still standing. His sword fell from his hand as a brown barbed scourge raked over his forearm numbing his fingers. Both of them looked up and saw a flying pixie digimon.  
  
A beautiful creature with deep red coloring. Lillymon's big-sister. The Queen of the fairies.  
  
Mimi knew her instantly. "Lillymon?" it was a question, true, but not to ascertain if she was indeed Lillymon, no this was a much simpler request.  
  
"Rosemon." Was all the answer Mimi needed, a slight nod of her head and her gaze was once again on Michael. Who for one of the first times in his life new true fear. As he looked over what he had done a the fog that had settled over his mind sense the fog seemed lift.  
  
"My God, what have I done?" he whispered. His own digimon was at his side in an instant. Large round eyes taking in the carnage. "What have I become Betamon? What have I become?"  
  
The sword turned into a red bolt of energy and entered his crest, it too seemed to take on a slight red aura, similar to Mimi's but not nearly as strong. "Get him some help Mimi. Until I can control myself... until I know what is going on with me I must go..."  
  
He didn't look at her during this little speech, knowing that if he did the pain of mistrust and betrayal, his to her and not the other way around, would be to much for him to bare. His partner took one last regretful look back before turning into Seadramon and taking both of them far away.  
  
*******  
  
Gomamon looked at his partner sadly. Wishing he had been a little faster, so he could have protected him like he was supposed too. After all if Joe died who would have to make fun of? His heart lifted some when Joe began to stir.  
  
He listened with half an ear to Mimi's yelling. She seemed quite concerned that he "Never scare her like that again!" and then after about five minuets she broke down and sobbed into Joe's chest, making the poor boy wince.  
  
Gomamon never one to let a good opportunity go bye laughed a bit and then ordered Joe to "Physician. Heal thy self!" this got Mimi to stop crying, Palmon to giggle a bit and even Joe to smile just a little.  
  
And then it was all aboard the Ikkakumon express to the others. The large white walrus broke thought the foliage shortly before TK and Kari returned. After they came to a halt Joe, now very pale, let Mimi to lead him to his medical bag. No one even looked at them.  
  
But it was in the middle of Mimi's binding him up, with Joe supervising of course, that they heard it. Their eyes swung to Ken and Willis, their mouths slightly agape. At a gasp at the edge of the clearing they saw TK and Kari with Gatomon. Not an odd sight really.  
  
Not odd if you didn't take into account that Patamon wasn't on TK's head and that he was holding a black fedora. Or if you could somehow ignore the small green snake that was rapped around the blond youth's arm talking in a low whisper.  
  
The serpent's head then swung after saying its peace to the angles. Its tong darted out tasting the air. Its reptilian eyes then fixed on Joe's wounded shoulder.  
  
And then the small digimon decided to speak.  
  
*******  
  
Gabumon looked over at the crying pink bird. She was very upset, and from her one outburst of "They're gone!" he could make a very good guess as to why. Although he had tried to start a relationship with the female digimon in question, nothing had ever come of it.  
  
She was too much a friend for it to progress past that. Besides Agumon would have cooked him alive. Sometimes he wondered how Matt was still breathing let alone still friends with Tai. Gabumon knew better then to ever even think about making a play for Biyomon ever again.  
  
But then, he never wanted too. His attempt to be with Biyomon had been more for Matt and Sora's sake then his or hers. They were friends but that was all either of them wanted from the relationship. From their talks he knew that she was just as confused as he was by their partners relationship.  
  
Not that he understood most of Matt's relationships.  
  
His and Agumon's friendship was a peculiar thing. They were DNA digivolving partners at there Mega level. And they were the two most powerful of all the destined digimon. Yes Wormmon and Veemon could DNA up to mega level, and yes their 'fighter mode' might even be stronger then they. But they were the first, and Omnimon was something that only they could do.  
  
He counted Agumon his best friend besides Matt, but he still held things close in. He was a shy digimon by nature and even in the best of times found it hard to open up. But he couldn't keep the pretence of 'being' with Biyomon. The pain it caused both his friends was too much, and so despite Matt and Sora's surprise he called it off.  
  
And she had thanked him, before running... well flying actually, off to find Agumon and make amends. He had apologized the next day and surprisingly Agumon, who never seemed like the sharpest digimon in the world really, had understood.  
  
But there had been a sadness in the small orange dinosaurs eyes that even Biyomon's affection couldn't erase. His partner was in pain, and for once there was nothing that the digimon could do to stop it.  
  
And the last time they had talked that pain had been worse. Worsened because now his partner knew what had been going on for some time now. Knew that his partner was happy with his love while he was stuck looking in and dyeing a little more each day. He feared for Tai, and he feared for Agumon.  
  
No one knew what would happen to a digimon who lost its partner or a partner who lost his digimon, and at the rate that Tai was heading Gabumon had been afraid of the real possibility that Agumon would be the first to find out.  
  
He shouldn't have worried. He knew that now. Tai would be strong not from himself, but for others. He couldn't leave Kari behind, not unless he was sure she was safe.  
  
He grimiest slightly. If Tai ever wised up and realized that his command to TK to keep his sister safe had become Patamon's partner's life he might just have ended it right then and their. For that had always been Tai's fatal error. Provided that it was someone else he had to help or do something for he was unstoppable. But the moment it was just himself, just his needs, he couldn't do it.  
  
It was what made him such a grate leader and friend. But what also made him need friends more then any other in the group. Gabumon new this. The digimon had known their roles and the roles there humans would play almost instinctively.  
  
Matt was supposed to be Tai's counter, his balance. But he had over compensated this time, and given into HIS fatal flaw.  
  
His need to be loved.  
  
Gabumon understood it, he had the same need. But he needed friends, not romance. Matt seemed to have a different need, and he took that which Tai had lived for. Datamon's pyramid should have told both Sora and Matt what they needed to know.  
  
Tai had risked death for her.  
  
Sora was on her knees, trying in vain to comfort her digimon, he could see tears in the human girls eyes as well. Her best friend had just walked out on her, after all.  
  
Matt stood like a statue, his hands balled into fists. Gabumon could almost here what was going on his the boys head. It was most likely something like 'Not again. I will not fail again!' over and over again.  
  
Suddenly the field got very quit. He glanced around thing to see what was wrong. His eyes fell to Joe who seemed to be in ruff shape, but that was when he heard Serpentmon talking.  
  
This wasn't good, this wasn't good at all.  
  
*******  
  
Davis shook himself out of his daze. Kari wasn't for him, at lest not how he was at present. He smiled a bit, there was still a chance. Who knows maybe she didn't feel about TK the way TK did about her? Who could ever really tell with girls?  
  
He made his way over to Ken, Cody and Yolie. Ken and the American boy Willis seemed to be telling a story. He listened with half an ear. It was nothing real existing. The first kids in the digital world. Champion being the big thing... Travis not have a digimon for most of it.  
  
Davis blinked at that. Travis didn't have his digimon for most of his time in the digital world? Were the heck was Serpentmon?  
  
"Serpentmon didn't like the idea of being pared with a 'disgusting human' I think was his term. He wanted Travis to prove himself." Came Ken's voice in answer to Davis' unvocalized question  
  
Willis picked it up from their. "Yes, so he either managed to prove his worth to the snake, or his need to protect is so engrained in chosen digimon that he didn't have a chouse. Because Travis bit off more then he could chew, trying to save Sara from a ShogunGeckomon that Serpentmon came flying out of nowhere and took the hit for him. Knocked him out for almost two days that hit did."  
  
Yolie asked a question then, wondering what happened to the ShogunGeckomon. The two story tellers laughed a bit at that and explained that Sara had sung the thing to sleep with a lullaby of all things.  
  
The latest of goggle-heads stopped paying attention at that point. And he pondered why the first group didn't have their digimon whetting for them like the others had. Tai's group had all said that they showed up and their digimon were ready for them.  
  
Kari's had come to her. And his, Cody's and Yolie's had been sitting under their first digimentals just for them. He thin began to wonder about Willis and Michael getting their digimon.  
  
Willis got his way, way back before Tai's group was ever even called to the digital world, but Michael's didn't show up in his house till Myotismon attacked in the real world, and Ken's never came after him.  
  
He decided to stop thinking after a bit though, his brain was beginning to hurt. Besides he now had his questions, all he had to do was ask the brains. That's what leaders did isn't it?  
  
But then something in the story caught his attention completely and made those questions fly right out of his head. 


	22. E: CW ch11

All righty, even though is seems that I might just be writing this for my own amusement now I'm going to keep going if for no other reason then to get it out of my head.  
  
A review or two would be nice though, how else am I going to know how to get better, or if I'm still doing a decent job? I say still because from the ten reviews I've gotten I know I was at lest doing something right, I'll be it maybe only the first two chapters... people seems to like them, well so do I for that matter. The first has got to be some of my best work.  
  
-Flameraven  
  
Would I be asking to see the subbed or dubbed versions of 01 and 02 in my bio if I owned digimon? I don't think so!  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Yolie lessened to the story that Ken and Willis were spinning with grate interest. They seemed to gloss over their partes as well as that of Michael. Travis and Sara seemed to be paramount and she could hear a distinct note of hero worship and nostalgia.  
  
She knew both of that came from the fact that most of the pain in both of there lives hadn't happened yet. Sam had still been alive and Sara was like a mother to Ken, and Willis now had friends to play with, the best thing in the world for a kid from the Mid-west who was all alone in the world except from his parents.  
  
Michael was still a question though. She was long over her crush for him, but he was still a mystery. A puzzle that she itched to solve. What daemons did he have to face, what pain did he suffer?  
  
She knew he had to have some pain, this whole group of destined had all felt pain, horrible pain. Ken had it forced upon him, Willis seemed to attract it.  
  
As had Sara.  
  
Travis had been their braker. He had kept them alive and safe. He took the responsibility not out of want, like Matt had tried according to the stories she had been told, but out of age and the simple fact that it had to be done.  
  
But he had done too much. All of their pain, every one of their fears he had taken upon himself for them. They couldn't even tell, but as they wove their story together she could see the young boy that Travis Lock had once been, turn into a cold shell of a man.  
  
She couldn't help but feel for him. He had done so much and in the end he lost himself because of it. Sara had been his sounding bord it seemed. She had been who he would let himself talk to when it all got be too much. She had soothed him, and then brought him more pain.  
  
It seems that she was the holder of Fate.  
  
Fate. That had caught her off guard, if Willis held destiny then what need did they have for fate? Weren't they one and the same? She had asked that same question and the answer that Ken had given her was deep, very deep.  
  
"Not all things have a destiny, Yolie. We do, we where chosen to do this. Why I don't know but we were. And in the choosing we had to make a choice. Do we do it? do we fight? Or do we run? And if we fight on what side do we fight for? Destiny is never an absolute. Fate on the other hand, everything has a fate."  
  
Her eyes had gone wide at that. You can walk away from destiny but not fate? But what is there that you can't NOT do? And then it hit her. "Death."  
  
Ken nodded his head. "Yes death. That is what she represents. The end of one cycle."  
  
Yolie couldn't quite put her mind around that one. How could someone represent death? How could that be part of someone's soul? And isn't it a bit ironic that it would be in the body of a women, the thing that can give new life?  
  
And then with the power of a bullet train she understood. Her eyes were huge and her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to organize her thoughts. She was the end of once cycle and could start a new one.  
  
Death and Rebirth.  
  
It was so simple. But something, didn't quite fit. Something from the stories that Tai's group had told them. Something about deletion, but it just wouldn't come to her.  
  
But had Sara truly been death and rebirth as such she would have been. "She was unstoppable wasn't she?" Ken and Willis blinked a bit at that one, they hadn't expected her to figure it out that fast. Surprisingly it was Cody who answered her.  
  
"Travis could have stopped her, he is Faith." At their blank looks he smiled a bit and then he recited a few passages that had mente a lot to his mother after his father had passed away. "I am the will and the way. All who believeth in me shall not parish but have life ever lasting."  
  
Ken and Willis caught on but Davis and Yolie still seemed a bit confused so he try a different one, a more blatant one. "though I walk thought the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil. For the lord is with me, always. Even unto the ends of the earth." It was paraphrased, he knew but it got its point across.  
  
Travis represented a way out the cycle of death and rebirth and death again. He offered hope that the light of heaven would be a home after you leave this mortal coil. Life eternal with no 2nd death awaiting. But with out him to balance Sara out. "TK and Kari could have held her if we didn't have Travis right?" Yolie asked, almost afraid of the answer.  
  
Ken grimmest a bit at that one, "IF she is was his counter then we have to believe that WE have counters as well."  
  
Now that was a sobering thought. After a moment of pained silence Davis asked them to get back one with the story. It wasn't nearly as engrossing now though, but at the end something did catch the lavender headed girl's attention.  
  
"What a minuet, it killed her right in front of him and then he ordered FallenAngemon to kill it right?" she asked positive she must have heard wrong. Willis turned his head away, unwilling to make eye contact, but not Ken.  
  
He started her right in the eye and repeated the last part of the story. "No, Yolie. He killed it with his own two hands and that shield of his. He ripped it apart crying the whole time." Then he too lost eye contact. "And then, like a switch got hit, he just stopped. The body of Apocalimon dispersed into data like Sara's had, and Travis just got up.  
  
"He wasn't crying anymore, but it wasn't him either. The light in his eyes was gone. He was courteous to us but he no longer had affection in his voice." Ken broke off in a slight sob and Willis brought his head up to look at the three other destined around him and said his peace.  
  
"We were orphaned in a very real sense that day. Sara was killed right in front of us and Travis was no longer capable of taking care of us. You see he blamed himself.  
  
"According to prophesy HE was supposed to die at our final battle, not her. He had been dodging blasts getting hits in with that damned shield of his and had even managed to deflect a hit or two. And then she got in the way of one he was a split secant too late in evading.  
  
"And so he killed it. Killed it with a mindless berserker fury. And it was either the act of killing something or the guilt of knowing that you lived when you were supposed to die, but he changed because of it."  
  
And then in an eerie stereo they both whispered the same words. "And a part of me. A large part of me, wishes that I had been the one to do it."  
  
the gasps at those words and the sudden silence was broken by the voice of Serpentmon.  
  
*******  
  
He sometimes hated being a digimon. His hearing was much better then that of a human. Every word hit him as he remembered that day. Apocalimon had been weakened greatly yes, but still Travis had been the one to kill it.  
  
No one should ever have to go through that at the age of eight. But he didn't need to hear that last part. He had already told the angels the truth about their guilt from when THEY had been eight and killed someone. They didn't understand truly what it was like, but they were the only ones that might be able to help his partner get past the blocks he had setup within himself.  
  
But now he had a few things to work out, and he wasn't going to be nearly as diplomatic as his partner had been. This came of course with a small ironic smile as he remembered Travis' little temper tantrum from early. These people were already doing some good for his partner.  
  
He smelled the air that a distinctly reptilian way, and he tasted blood. Looking around for its source he spotted Joe rapped up in bandages, he had obviously come out the bad side of an argument. And seeing that Michel was nowhere in sight the data type digimon could hazard a far guess at who that argument had been with, and with a quick glance at Mimi, what it had been over.  
  
He cursed the female half of humans right then and there. Had it not been for them non of this would have happened. Travis wouldn't have been hurt, *he* wouldn't have been hurt. Tai wouldn't have walked, and Michael would be here right now. The way the sexes acted around each other it was amazing to him that their species even survived!  
  
But thinking of that only opened old wounds that have never fully healed, and that he doubted ever would, and he had something far more pressing to do.  
  
"Judging from your looks I take it Michael is no longer with us?" He didn't even wait for their affirmative before switching his attention over the Ken and Willis. "Do not think like that, let it go. Your pain and your anger and your blood lust about this was the avenue that evil used to harm you both. It used your emotions, long repressed but there non the less to use you in attempts to destroy your worlds."  
  
He sighed then, "Tai is gone, Michael is gone and Travis and Patamon have been taken. We are effectively down four fighters one of which is a Mega. I don't need to worry about loosing one of you too, this war hasn't even started yet."  
  
And then he looked at the one he deemed the leader in Tai and Travis' absences and asked a rather simple question. "So what are we going to do about it?" 


	23. E:D ch1

Well, I'm still here but judging from the lack of reviews it seems I'm the only one who is. Too bad I don't care. I know I've got two fans! Go me! Heh. Yes, I'm crazy what else is new? I'm going to take the lack of reviews in stride however. I'm going to think that its just because my work is so good that you can't find anything wrong with it and are content to let me continue on my marry way.  
  
Hay its my delusional world and I can live it if I whish to! I would like to know if people are even reading this thing though. Its not that bad is it? Or did my anti-Sorato scare everyone off?  
  
-Flameraven  
  
Well here is book three, I seem to have a thing for eleven chapter long stories about this show that I will never own. Well except for Travis and Serpentmon anyway.  
  
Equilibrium book three: Diffusion  
  
Chapter one  
  
Travis sent up a few fervent prayers as Patamon's digivolution started. He got lucky, all of them were answered.  
  
Patamon digivolve too... Centarumon!?? Travis couldn't help but grin at the digimon's consternation but he knew that time was not on their side.  
  
So feeling like that dumass Ash from that pokemon show he shouted out. "Centarumon, Solar Ray the Agumon! Hurry!"  
  
The digimon scoffed at him but complied, witch was a very good thing because the she was in the middle of digivolving into Greymon at the time. It was kind of funny to see it blasted back as little bits and pieces of data went flying off of it and into all the corners the of room.  
  
Sara looked at all of this with those garnet eyes. Her stare cold and accusing. Travis did his best to ignore them as with the one lingering gaze right before he pulled his eyes away had shown pain as well. For a moment he wondered were her digimon was, but decided to count his blessings as he knew from how tired he was that there was no way in hell that Patamon was going to be able to get any higher then champion anytime soon.  
  
The simple fact was that Patamon couldn't even hold this form without Travis there to keep the energy required at a minimum. How TK had managed to do this with such a powerful digimon Travis couldn't understand, but then again maybe it had something to do with being a chosen digimon.  
  
He'd never had to use it on another one before... well that's not true, completely...  
  
He shook his head to clear it from those painful memories as Centarumon freed him from his bonds. Climbing upon the large data type's back they fled their place of imprisonment. Grabbing his D3 he locked onto the nearest other chosen and headed out.  
  
Lucky for him Centarumon had been a little ahead of the game and had grabbed both the digivice and his crest. His mind hadn't been working very well and he had completely forgotten about them. He just couldn't get that look of her eyes out of his head.  
  
And somewhere deep inside of him, something broke. Something that had been weakened over a decade ago finally shattered into a million glimmering shards. As a deep empty ache started to fill him once again.  
  
*******  
  
'So what are we going to do about it?' A rather trite question isn't it? And coming from a foot and a half long green snake digimon who had all but taken charge a moment ago didn't make Matt any happier about it either.  
  
And now the stupid thing wanted him to fix all the messes that Tai left behind. And he didn't know if he could do it. The last time he had been forced into leading. And yes he had been forced, he had wanted it but not that way, never that way. He couldn't do it and then there hadn't been any problems except the lack of Tai.  
  
Now he had to deal with not only Tai not being there, but Michael gone and Patamon and Travis being kidnapped. He didn't know what they were going do, but first thing was get every one on the level, ask people what they though. That was what he had failed to do that last time.  
  
He opened his mouth and "Go after them." Was spoken in a soft, extraordinary determined voice. The only problem was it wasn't his voice that had spoken. His eyes went wide as the serpent nodded its head as if it wasn't surprised in the lest at who had taken charge of the Digidestined.  
  
He spun on his head and gaped openly at this new 'leader' as the battle plan was lade out.  
  
*******  
  
TK watched nodding in agreement with the plan for the most part. He, Matt and Kari would go after Travis. He smiled at that, everyone, except Davis, had always put the two of them together unconsciously, and Matt was the only other Mega that the older kids knew about. So it made sense that they would send the most powerful thing they could against something that could take down Travis.  
  
The other part had Izzy, Joe and Mimi going after Michael. Once again he agreed with this. Izzy and Joe both had powerful ultimates and Mimi had just achieved Mega. Michael didn't have a ultimate the as far as any of them knew, but if his sword had the power of Travis' shield then it would have still been a fight.  
  
He also agreed with Cody, Yolie, Ken, Willis and Davis going on a digi-egg hunt. The digimentals of Honor, Kindness, Fate, Faith and Destiny should be out there somewhere. And if Travis and Michael were a guideline then both Ken and Willis should also have a weapon of some sort out there as well.  
  
What he didn't like was the last part. He didn't like it in the lest. He had a job to do. Something that Tai himself had given him and he would be damned if he was going to fail Tai now.  
  
*******  
  
Sora blinked as TK of all people went against her plan. That caught her off guard, almost as much as his argument. Poor Kari went sheet white for a moment when he started. The worst part was that his argument brought back a rather painful memory to her. One of the things that she had over looked in thinking that Tai hadn't cared for her.  
  
The fact that he had trusted her with his sister when she was sick and he was almost crazy with guilt.  
  
"Matt is going with you." it hadn't been a suggestion it had been an order. And it had been said with such of a tone of command that she had almost capitulated out of pure instinct. That too had caught her off guard. TK had never seemed the type to lead.  
  
Her blank look must of triggered something and so out came his reason. It was what had made her heart ache for some reason.  
  
"Tai told me take care of you and Kari when he wasn't there. I can't do that with us going separate ways." He had paused then, the slack jawed response of everyone looking at him ether ignored or he was just oblivious too it. Kari had gone white at that, and Sora knew what was going on in her head.  
  
The girl still wasn't sure what she felt for TK but the idea that he might only be with her because of some misplaced loyalty to her brother was a little much. Luckily for him, from the look in Devis' eyes at any rate, his next words fixed most of it. "You might mean more to *him*, but Kari means more to *me*. So you're taking Matt with you when you go looking for Tai."  
  
His gaze had then swung to his elder bother. "Take care of her or you're going to have to answer to both Tai and myself." He had looked back at her and calmed the motherly fear that had wormed its way into her breast. "Don't worry about us, Gatomon can go Mega and if Serpentmon is right together we can get him up in power for a little bit."  
  
She blinked at that, her look must of been incredulous because Biyomon had piped in. Her sobbing having subsided as soon as she heard that she would be going after Agumon. "its true. You remember when WarGraymon killed MachineDramon right?" Sara nodded, and remembered a conversation she had had with Tai after that.  
  
He had been a frightened little kid, the first time she had ever seen him like that in the digital world. He was always so strong there, always in control always energetic. It was then she found out just how much in was costing him to put on that horse and pony show to keep the rest of them motivated.  
  
Kari, not him, had been the one who got Agumon to digivolve and save them from the secant most powerful of the Dark Masters. And Tai had been scared beyond belief by that. He hadn't even been able to get Agumon to up to Greymon and his sister got him up at Mega level. That was a blow to his confidence and self worth.  
  
She had seem him without his courage that day, and that over anything else she has ever seen in her life scared her. Again that clinch in her heart! What the hell did that mean! She shook it off and nodded for Biyomon to continue.  
  
"Well if the legends are true, and the one around the crest of Light seems to be, then Hope can sustain digimon at higher levels then they can normally be."  
  
She nodded at that, she didn't think they had control over their powers but she wasn't going to press the issue. No it was the lie about Gatomon going Mega that she was going to get them with. They weren't going to go anywhere with out proper backup. If either of them got hurt she wouldn't be able to live with herself.  
  
"Ok, now if I believe you have the can do that, I don't remember seeing Angewomon's big sister ever showing up."  
  
Kari looked blushed a little but spoke up. "She's a dragon actually. A Magnadramon" At that Izzy blinked, typed a few things, and whistled. For some reason she knew that it was going to be some insanely strong Mega level digimon that just happened to really be a Mega that Angewomon could turn into.  
  
Her reverie was broken however by Willis. *Willis!* saying of all things, "Ya that's one of 'um." All the older destined blinked at that. *One* of them? The American boy didn't stop there though. "The angel that was with it must of have been yours then TK? What was it called? Seraphimon or something like that right?"  
  
At that Izzy got very big eyes, typed some more, and promptly fell right of the rock he had perched himself on. Sighing in defeat she waved Matt to her and started walking in the direction she felt complied to go... oddly enough it was where Tai was according to Matt's D3. 


	24. E:D ch2

I don't own Digimon, never did, never will.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Sara looked at the hole in the wall that the digimon of hope had crated after it had somehow digivolved. She didn't know how it had done that. All she new was that Travis was somehow involved with it. There had been an odd cloud of gray around him for a minute.  
  
It had brushed past her right before the little flying pig had transformed. It had been both warm and icy cold at the same time. She didn't know what it was, or how it had done what it had done, but she was sure there was a way to stop it.  
  
But what hurt was the fact that he had ran from her. He had kissed her, and then used this odd power to run away from her. She didn't quite know how to take that. He had to have felt the power in that kiss, there was no way that he couldn't have. She saw it in his eyes. He had wanted it as much as she did.  
  
So why did he run?  
  
There had been something in his gray eyes right before he had done... what ever the hell he did. Something she just couldn't quite place. She glanced back at her companion, the women who would be leader far too soon for Sara's liking. She smiled a tight smile at that though. How would Travis react when the friends he had placed above her no longer had Tai to lead them?  
  
Still smiling that mirthless smile she healed Beth's Agumon. That had been a very strong blast, the power of hope must still reside at lest in part inside that digimon. At lest she guessed that had to be it, but if that had indeed been hope's partner then shouldn't it have become a Angemon?  
  
It was rather confusing too say the lest. And nothing she could think of made it any better. Or anymore understandable. And too make matters worse all of *her* partners were newbies to the digital world, and if her sudden appearance at home had been any indication... She shivered as the memory of that came back to her unbidden.  
  
It had been a shock and a half to see her parents looking so... old. And to make matters worse, they had thought her dead. Heck she was legally dead. Had been for over five years. That was an interesting experience. And the sad part was, that in a way she had been. Dead that is.  
  
It had taken those eight other kids being killed like she had been and finding their way back, though her power no less. For her to then pull herself together into a semblance of her body.  
  
Only to then be forced to watch and what until a hole was made once again after the defeat of Apoclimon. To sit in that void of discarded data like so much garbage until yet another grate evil tried to destroy at lest one reality.  
  
That hadn't happened till the activation of the last destiny stone.  
  
She snorted at the stupidity at all the "evils" that had tried to take over or destroy the digital or real worlds. The last had been the worst. The two idiot digimon that had made that false BlackWarGraymon had by far been the worst.  
  
They had almost blown everything strat to hell and why? She never found out. She had been freed about then and gone back home, to a world that she hardly recidnized.  
  
She shoved all of that into the far recesses of her mind. She didn't and couldn't deal with that right now.  
  
Instead she merle looked out the hole in the wall, for a moment more, before heading off to help try and train her new team mates. She just hopped that Tai would arrive soon as loosing Travis was going to make it that much harder for them in advance at the pace she wanted them too.  
  
*******  
  
Elizabeth Sutherland known as Beth to her friends, well she called them friends but even she doubted they would use the same term for her. She was a gorges red-headed green eyed girl with the temper to mach all the stereotypes of her hair color. And she couldn't have like it better.  
  
Her long flaming locks fell to the small of her back, clashing with her green sweater, that made her eyes sparkle like emeralds. Her long denim clad legs now moved with a steady proud stride as she made her way to the training hall.  
  
A small cruel smirk graced her lips as one of the younger girls, a blond little space case, quickly got out of her way. Oh yes, it was good to be the Queen.  
  
Or at lest the Princess.  
  
But that was only temporary. The current "Queen" would be pushed aside soon and she would take her place as adviser like it was supposed to be. Beth was, after all, the ultimate tyrant.  
  
The holder of the crest of fear. And fear could do anything.  
  
Unfortunately, holding fear didn't make her immune to it. Sara frightened her, as did that boy she had brought into their base. She growled at the memory. Not only had he gotten away, taken back possibly the most powerful digimon in existence, but he had looked at Sara in a way that made the looks she had always gotten from men look meaningless.  
  
She couldn't understand that, and that scared her as well. The boy was a wild card, an unknown property in this little war that she and the others would soon start. But then, as far as Beth was concerned, so was Sara.  
  
But for all of that she had knowledge that was desperately needed, as so couldn't be disposed of out of hand. And even worse she was a calming influence over the others who would try to lead. Pride, Darkness and Lust all vide for the spot that would be Beth's and Beth's alone.  
  
Her smile turned predatory as she strode into the field her Agumon at her heels, she opened a pin to let the first of her targets come out to fight and die. And she hoped that soon her partner would reached the level of ultimate, for then and only then would she be able to take her place as leader in truth.  
  
*******  
  
Nicole Anderson watched as Beth moved on, happy to be over looked. The young sandy-blond headed girl that went by Nikki had never been comfortable around the older girl. Her part was, for the most part, done. So now she needed to only train and wait until the battles started.  
  
The battles, that was something she was not looking forward too. She was anything but a fighter. There was no beauty in war, and pain and death. And beauty was what she lived for. She was an artist, and a good one at that.  
  
Where her counterpart always had his laptop and was always in the search for more knowledge, she always had her sketchbook and journal. She lived in a world of her own making much of the time, for it was better by far then the ones in witch she truly lived.  
  
The fog had been hers, for her group was the opposite of the firsts. They could use there crests but not digivolve, it was an intriguing concept. She imagined that if one of them made it to the next level there opposite in number would have made a startling discovery about the powers of their crest.  
  
IT had not yet happened but she was sure she would be proven right. Imagination was the first step to knowledge after all. For what was an hypothesis but nothing more then an imagined outcome?  
  
And that was what the young girl was. For looking past her jeans and red T- shirt, past her sandy-blond hair and her almost purple eyes. She was the barer of imagination, the creator of illusions. And the power of imagination was the strongest and most potent gift of man.  
  
She smiled, a real genuine smile at that thought. She would never lead, but she had no wish too. No she was the power behind the thrown. And both Sara and Beth would always have need for her. And her skills.  
  
*******  
  
Yet another young girl watched from the shadows. Her icy blue eyes taking in both Beth's passing and Nikkei's sudden grin. She snorted at both of them, the weak fools. Beth thought herself to be the next leader once Sara stepped down. This girl thought otherwise.  
  
She tuned and headed down the hallway that she had been hiding in, unnoticed by the holder of illusions. He long black trench-coat billowing out behind her like a cape. She held the crest of darkness and was proud to be its holder. She and her partner would soon hold sway over all this world as there masters had commanded.  
  
Her black stained lips smiled slightly at the though of her partner. Despair was such a glorious tool. His powers along with that of illusion's had been the opening gambit. And he was her creature, her possession, her love. Her only friend.  
  
At lest he was, until they had been told of this world, been shown its wonders and been given there digimon. All she need do was kill the holder of light... kill her, or turn her into what she herself was. A child of darkness.  
  
The angle of night's musical laugh twinkled in the shadowed bastion of evil that had taken root on the far reaches of file island. The one place that the so called chosen ones wouldn't even think to look 'till it was far too late. They had been on server far too long.  
  
That laughter had been brought on by a rather delicious idea. For if the angle of light was every thing and nothing like her as her master had said, then the easiest way to hurt her, brake her, would be though either courage.... Or hope.  
  
%^&^%^&  
  
Ok I'm going to stop it there for right now. I'd like to thank my one reviewer from the last chapter. Please review all you want. I'd love the feed back and I'm sure that you won't mess me up in the slightest...  
  
&^%^&%^%  
  
Wow, ok quick revise of some grammar that I actually caught! go me! And I'm going to take the time to say thanks to my other reviewer!  
  
Thanks for the words of encouragement they mean a lot. And don't worry I'm going to explain Sara fitting in and Travis' statement way, way back in chapter one of Equilibrium book one. 


	25. E:D ch3

So that's what Mary Sue stands for, I could never figure that out. Dear god I hope they don't do that, if they do tell me quick and give me some help in making it so they no longer are. A Mary Sue would take to much away. I need them to be fleshed out with distinct personalities or this is going to be far, far too boring for someone to read!  
  
Thanks for the reviews. They give me a worm feeling knowing that someone is enjoying this. I hope I keep you entertained until I finish this bad boy.  
  
Chapter three.  
  
I was riding on Patamon's new champion level form Centarumon, when I felt it. This bone deep weariness. It was a deep empty feeling in my bones that told me he had drained me dry and that if I didn't let go soon he would most likely kill me. I just prayed to God, and even the gods of this world to keep us safe 'till my energy had returned.  
  
We had been running hard for the better part of the day sense our escape from Sara's stronghold. At lest I think it was her stronghold. I don't really know. It was just the two of them and only one digimon as far as I could tell. What kind of base of operations is that?  
  
Unless of coarse they hadn't found the rest of the ones from their side...  
  
Ha! There is no way in hell I'm going to believe that one. My luck has never, ever, been that good. I just hope and pray that Tai is holding things together. That he got to TK before that boy ran off and did something stupid.  
  
My God don't I sound pompous with that remark! Here I am sitting under a canopy of trees with TK's partner, now back in his rookie form, out getting me food and I'm wondering how they are going to stay together with out me. God I must be delusional or something.  
  
Tai kept that group together long before I ever came back on the seen. And I really should have more faith in TK. That boy has been though it all, been though something that very few of us have ever been forced to endure.  
  
The loss of our partner.  
  
If he could survive that and keep going the loss of his mate shouldn't stop him now should it? I don't know... How do you answer a question like that? What the hell am I asking you for, your a damn journal... maybe someday I'll come back and take a look at this and have an answer. I hope...  
  
As it stands right now I'm pretty damn sure I'll never understand women. Three women in particular. Hikari, Sora, and my own dear sweet Sara. I mean lets look at them. First we have Hikari, better known as Kari.  
  
A sweet girl, the angle of light, who never the less as been playing two boys against one another for years. One of those is her best friend. A boy who pledged to give his life for hers if needs be at the age of eight...  
  
Damn it, I'm f'ing crying again. Why the hell did they have to be so much like Sara and I!?! What kind of sick joke was that huh? And what the hell did that kiss do to me to make me such a crybaby all of a sudden?  
  
Anywise...  
  
The other is as far as I can tell just shy of a stalker. And yet she seems to like him in some way. Hell from the looks of things back in that clearing it seems like she had chosen him! How the hell does that work?  
  
Working from there let us go to Sora, the barer of the crest of love. She confuses me even more the Kari does. I know that she was in love with Tai when they were here in the digital world. That had to be the single most blatantly obvious thing in the world.  
  
I'm sure that if I could go back in time and spend a million years studying her I would never understand. She was in love with Tai. I know that, I saw it. I watched as it grew. How it started but I will never know how it ended...  
  
Patamon just came back with food. Its a good thing that one of us can still move. I'm having trouble just keeping my eyes open as I write this. Where was I? Oh yes, Sora and Tai's relationship, or lack there of as the case maybe.  
  
Tai risked his life to save Sora's from Datamon. Sora left the group first to find Tai once he was sucked through that portal. But the most damning piece of evidence was when her crest glowed for the first time. Its kinda hard to miss a guy saying 'I felt something, It was your love shinning through.' or some poetic nonsense like that.  
  
Then you have Tai putting her in charge of Kari when his little sister was ill. You have him letting her see him broken down after MachineDramon. And on more then one occasion she screamed out his name out of reflex when frightened.  
  
How the hell does that not make a relationship?  
  
And all of that was going with out how they acted with the rest in the digital world. They had a nice little family unit going on. A family with Tai and Sora as the parents.  
  
And she has thrown it all away for Matt.  
  
Matt! I mean where in nine hells did THAT come from?!  
  
Hell its not like she ever seemed to particularly like him all that much or anything when they were here in this world. At lest not as far as I could tell. Nor did he seem all that interested in her.  
  
It just seems like its just fundamentally wrong. Its almost like Sora got scared and hid. She could have had a relationship with any of the guys, hell she could have had one with Mimi or even Kari... well maybe not Kari, loving light just don't sound right.  
  
Oh man, now I know I'm tired I just rhymed... But I need to get his down. Get it out of my head before it eats away at me.  
  
Sora could have gone with Mimi and had a sincere love, gone with Joe and had the safest type, reliable love. Heck she could have gone with TK and had a hopeful love, even though that just sounds like something from the 70's or something. With Izzy and shared his love for knowledge.  
  
But she went with friendship.  
  
Now correct me if I'm wrong but isn't friendship a type of love itself? Isn't loving a loving friendship kinda redundant? Seems that way to me. I always thought that she and Tai belonged together.  
  
For doesn't it take courage to find true love? Don't you need courage to see it through all the nay-sayers? To keep it together for all of time? It seems like it does to me. And so I am left with the feeling that Sora just couldn't take what her feelings were leading her to do.  
  
So she got scared and ran.  
  
Her going with friendship? Well that I can only guess was for one of two reasons. One she couldn't go for the safest of all her chouses, Joe was after all taken. Or two... two.  
  
That she did it to hurt Tai... that she did it to make him go away, to make him leave her be, to hate her so she wouldn't ever have to worry about those feelings ever again....  
  
Well... there is a third reason, I guess. One that would put the blame on Tai. And believe me, that boy could well be guilty of this one. She felt neglected... and she did it out of spit, or an attempt to make him go after her more aggressively.  
  
But if that is the case then I feel very sorry for all of them. Because Tai loves her too much to not let her go, and they are all going to end up unhappy in the long run...  
  
But enough about those three, they might be friends and I must abide by what they choose even if I believe they chose wrong. No now I must focus on the person who made my thoughts turn towards this in the first place.  
  
Sara.  
  
At one time in my life I thought I understood her, knew her. But what she did to me, what she let me do to her... I don't know anymore. That kiss had to have been the single most pleasant experience in my life. I'm halfway certain I'd kill to feel that again.  
  
But why she did it is something I don't think I'll ever know. She should hate me, or attest try to get as far from me as she could. Not kiss me like she... she...  
  
I never should have brought her here. Never let her see this world, if I hadn't she would have been fine. At lest I tell myself that. The fifth child. Our version of Kari... and of Ken. The one we needed to have to defeat that one unstoppable enemy.  
  
Was it really my fault? Have I been killing myself all these years with something I had no control over? Something in me screams out yes but I can't believe it. Not now, not after eleven years of knowing I the cause of all of this.  
  
And to compound my guilt I've eleven more kids that are here because of me and my stupidity.  
  
I guess I should let all of this out. Tell someone if it is only a peace of paper. Who knows it might be found someday. Hell I may give it to TK. If that mist was any indication he just might be an author at some point, it might be good material for him.  
  
So let me start not at the beginning for that is a tale I've written down in the journals from that time. No let us start at the most important place, with the two strongest of us, of the Digidestined.  
  
Hope and Light.  
  
One would think they would get together no? I would. But then I'm a bit biased now aren't I? Hope and light are the two halves that make up my crest. Their very existence, and that off all the chosen sense my group is also my sin.  
  
Now let me start at the middle. The middle with eight children from a place in Japan called Heighten View Terrace... 


	26. E:D ch4

Thanks for the praise and yes this chapter and the last were supposed to make Travis a bit more human. That and let me have some fun with the history of the digital world. There is so much that isn't explained in the US version that I can have a field day. I have no idea were this chapter came from, I was sitting in my car after driving home from West Virginia and it just hit me.  
  
I liked the idea and this is what came out. I can't wait to see everyone's opinions to this one.  
  
Oh and Cherry its nice to know I'm not the only one who has those thoughts about Sora. I had to put that down. It was the what was running through my head in 02 with Sora and Matt... it was all I could come up with.  
  
Kim, I'm a huge Tiaora fan, the only couple I like more then Tai and Sora is Rika and Ryo. I'm going to try. However in keeping with how I've got the characters established its not going to be easy and it is possible to my grate distaste that it might, in the end, still be a Sorato.  
  
I don't own it anymore now then I did last chapter. Its too bad too because I just got a job with the graveyard shift and I've got school... this is not going to be pretty.  
  
Chapter four.  
  
A place called Heighton View Terrace...  
  
As I told Tai, I was fighting the Dark Masters, pitting the power of my Ultimate and my shield against four Mega levels.  
  
Gods above I was full of myself back then wasn't I?  
  
Piedmon had managed to rip a hole between the real world and the digital world when he attacked and imprisoned the digital gods.  
  
In the instant that one of the guardian bests was locked away, a digi-egg that should have arrived in primary village showed up in the real world instead. One digimon in our world for one digimon gardein who was trapped by the dark masters.  
  
A freshly made Botamon, that ended up popping out of Tai and Kari's fathers computer. And a single egg with both Conomon and Zerimon inside for Willis...  
  
Both Conomon and Zerimon were my fault. I had just gotten the hang of my crest, learned how to use it to raise other digimon in level and they suffered because of my foolishness. I was forced to watch as two of my far too few friends were deleted right in front of me by Puppetmon and MetalSeadramon.  
  
Friends who until recently I had thought dead by, in a round about way, my hand. And lastly, a Parrotmon.  
  
That was one of the oddest things I've ever heard of. An Ultimate level digimon coming out of a Digi-egg? Piedmon's work yet again. He pushed part of his own power into the egg as it was emerging. The power would have been more then adequate for a Mega had it come out of a computer.  
  
Thank God for small miracles. Such as a jumbo sized egg forming in the sky and not out of a Titantron somewhere. That and Tai having an innate bond to that Graymon. Had it not been for Tai and the fact that the Parrotmon was still unstable...  
  
It would have been a heck of a lot worse then it was that's for sure.  
  
That battle made me grow up some. The data that was collected by Gennai showed that the of all the children, and surprisingly it was only children who saw the whole thing. That eight of them had certain properties that could be used here in this world.  
  
At that time, I had grown wiry of being alone. Besides I had just gotten my ass handed to me by the Dark Masters and The powers of the digital guardians would soon fade away. So Gennai and I came to a decision.  
  
Thinking that Destiny no longer had digimon because of me. And that there eggs had not reformed according to Elecmon. I had to think that Willis was out of the fight for good. Ken's change had already started and Wormmon had gone into hiding So he too was out o of the picture. At the time I thought that Wormmon was hiding from me because of what I had done to Lopmon and Terriermon.  
  
If only it had been so simple.  
  
That left Betamon and myself. There was no way I was going to endanger Michael in this, not again. So we made new crests, based off the ones that my team had received.  
  
From Honor came Knowledge and Reliability. From Kindness came Friendship and Courage. Destiny begot Love and Sincerity, and my own Faith was split into Hope and Light.  
  
Into these crests the remaining power of the digital gods flowed into them, creating both the tags and the digi-eggs that would be effected by them.  
  
Each crest now had a portion of the power of one of the gods. Each one was half of one that had come before. An abstract, and a concrete. One half of each crest pair was an obvious for what had come before.  
  
Love and destiny, friendship and kindness, honor and reliability. Faith and hope. The other half is more abstract. I'm not even sure why some came out of the ones they did, some make sense such as light and courage the others though... the others I'm still don't totally get.  
  
Courage and kindness makes some sense, as you much be courageous to offer kindness to a stranger, or even worse a former enemy. Light makes sense as well, but the others, I'm not sure why they came about.  
  
Was it because destiny would lead one to a sincere love? And if so which definition of sincere are we talking about? I know not, perhaps I never will. All I know is that I created the crests that dragged the middle eight children here.  
  
That I watched them for nearly a year, saw how they reacted, how they just wanted to go home. I saw them fight, and bleed, I watched one loose there partner, and one almost loose her life for the sake of a copy.  
  
And were was I? I was fighting a another war, a war to keep the most powerful evil in the digital world at bay until reinforcements for my side could arrive. But I watched them. From afar or from close in, I watched them.  
  
Always looking, but never helping. Dear God what have I become? Have I, in all the years that I've been in this world, become nothing more then unfeeling, uncaring data after all? Am I less then human now? Have I ever even been human?  
  
Am I good or evil?  
  
Questions like these have plagued me for far too long. I have finally came to grips with that last one. But the others... I do not know about the others.  
  
And now there are three more of us. Each with two eggs, each egg one half of the combo for each of my teams crests. Coincidence? I think not. All but Hope and Light were given to a new child. Now what do all the others have in common besides those too?  
  
An inactive destined.  
  
That's it. Destiny had been taken out of the mix way back, only a single year after I had sent him back home. Kindness had been corrupted, it was the very enemy that this new group had been called to fight.  
  
But I've already gone over those haven't I? So what of Honor one must ask, why wasn't he called as well? To Answer that question I have to say but one name.  
  
Piedmon.  
  
The Dark Masters returned with a vengeance. They had been gone, hiding and gaining strength through some means that I don't know. I and Betamon had been their first target. Having been cut off from the rest of the world they thought that we were that last of the digidestined.  
  
Betamon was killed before I could do anything to help him. Another of my friends gone. Somehow, someway he ended up in New York with his partner and stopped a rogue Guerillamon. All this as the new kids were fighting for their lives against Myotismon.  
  
And they saved mine with their return. Quite suddenly I was no longer needed, nor was I to be feared. I was yesterdays model, obsolete. And so they left me alone and went after the new kids. I watched then out of fear.  
  
Fear to get close to anyone else, fear of loosing them as I had lost everyone in my life. First Sara and then all but Serpentmon either through death or letting there partner, or partners die for my mistakes.  
  
But somehow they won. One only to find themselves against an enemy that I thought I had killed years, maybe even centuries ago. I watched as their crests were destroyed, I watched as they died.  
  
And I watched as they came back.  
  
As they came back and killed the bastard who had taken my life from me all those years ago.  
  
I was humbled by that. With out me they had beaten the evil that threatened both worlds. And so started my doubts. Then they did it again. This time against Diaboromon and with only four of their team even there to see.  
  
And then came the Emperor.  
  
Ken.  
  
One of mine. A bright, kind but lonely boy who had a large brother complex. But this was nothing like the Ken I knew, I was going to step in to stop him but then Tai showed up. Three new digivices were released, the digi- eggs found. I backed off then.  
  
I backed off even more when Light and Hope joined this new team. As I slowly got my courage back, and was about to step in and help once more... Michael made his appearance with Mimi.  
  
And I called Tai the coward. What a hypocrite I am. He runs from love, I run from both love and friendships, from my responsibilities and my past. I run from pain and I run from what sooths that pain.  
  
It seems that I run from anything and everything that lets me know I'm alive... I'll sleep on it. Yes sleep would be a good thing right about now, Patamon is way ahead of me in that regard.  
  
Good night journal, I don't know when I'll get the chance to talk to you again, but at lest I do feel a bit better for putting this all down. But I've got so many more questions in my head now with of course the most important simply being: why?  
  
-Michael Travis Lock 


	27. E:D ch5

All right, I put some back story in there. I always thought the Dark Masters went down way too fast, they had taken down the Digital Gods and yet they died to two normal Mega's and Piedmon the most powerful was killed by the attack of an Ultimate... I mean damn...  
  
However they had the power to change the digital world, literally, so I've decided to show that power in Travis' memories.  
  
*******  
  
Ok, I don't know if you've all done this yet but just in case you haven't seen it here it is. If you feel as I do about the NC-17 ban please go to  
  
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/KEEPNC17/  
  
And let people know that we wish to keep NC-17 alive and active on this sight. I don't understand why this happened in the first place, it seems like some parents don't want to take the time and be parents and so whish to punish those of us who can read such things legally. If a underage child clicks the button saying they are 17 or over and they are not, it isn't the sights fault nor is it the authors fault, its the kids. People need to remember that  
  
Ok I'm done ranting, I just don't like it that now that I'm 19 and can do what I want to do some stranger is going to try to take it away from me.  
  
*******  
  
Don't own anything but Travis, the snake, Sara and co. and all their crests. But seeing as its a common theme I can't really, nor do I wish to, clam them. And as always if you wish to use any of my people or my world, go ahead. Give me a footnote or something and an e-mail so I can see what ya do with 'em and I'll be happy.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Michael was walking. He didn't have any destination in mind, he was simply walking. His digimon was staying at its champion level, an odd occurrence but one that the holder of Honor didn't seem to even notice.  
  
He simply walked, and thought, and remembered. But most of all he damned himself for being a fool. A fool who couldn't see what he was walking into, a fool who believed a girls smiles and giggles. A fool who had... had... STABED a hand that offered friendship...  
  
Yes that was what he was, a damned prideful fool. A prideful fool with a sword. He still didn't have a clue were it had come from, nor were the skill to use it had either. And now it had retreated into his crest, a crest that was glowing an dark, *very* dark red.  
  
A red that was almost black... like dried blood.  
  
As that thought stuck him, the young New Yorker was almost sick. The red just seemed wrong. It wasn't the color that his crest was supposed to be. He didn't know how he knew that he just did. It was supposed to be... supposed to be...  
  
"AAAAAAAHHHH!"  
  
The boy fell to his knees as a white hot fang suddenly jammed its way into his mind. The pain was eminence. But just as quickly as it hit him it faded. Leaving him weak and sobbing but otherwise unharmed.  
  
His digimon quickly coiled around him. The sea-serpent new the chances that nothing had heard his friend's scream were slime. And although a powerful digimon, so far from water he was much weaker the he would ever like to be.  
  
Too bad for him, he was right. A DarkTyrannomon appeared on the horizon coming towards them at a run. The Viral type digimon would be a fight. And with Michael in such bad shape for some reason. It would also be a fight he could not loose.  
  
"Ice Blast!" as the blue jet erupted from the data types mouth he moved quickly away from his partner, hoping to distract the Dinosaur from the easier pray his partner would provide. The black T-rex's tail was hit directly with the attack, freezing it solid and throwing off his targets balance.  
  
The DarkTyrannomon nearly tripped over its own feet, but stumbled to a halt and retaliated in kind. "Fire Blast!" the fiery projectile forced Seadramon to twist in the air to dodge it. Thus the viral type digimon bought a few more precious secants to free his tall from its icy prison.  
  
"Iron Tail!" the small hill behind the large dinosaur never stood a chance. It was reduced to rubble with a single slam of the dinosaur's mighty tail. Michael was covered in a shower of dirt, dust and ice shards as he slowly regained his feet. He watched in horror as his antagonists next attack blasted his last remaining friend into the ground.  
  
The DarkTyrannomon followed up on his advantage and started pulverizing the aria that the sea-serpent had crashed into with fire blasts. The dust cloud was impressive and lingered for nearly a minuet and a half before fully clearing.  
  
As the dust settled it reviled... nothing...  
  
Absolutely nothing. Michael started in growing horror as the remaining digimon turned to fix its glowing red gaze upon him. Michael couldn't see his imminent death however, his eyes had filled with tears at the loss of his best friend and partner. As the virus type approached to finish him off the teenaged boy sobbed. A sob that broke off suddenly as he heard something he never thought he would again just a minuet ago.  
  
"Hard Rain!" the attack staggered the dinosaur and Michael sprang to his feet, his normally serious manor forgotten in the light of his friends continued existence. The "Ice Blast!" that followed up Seadramon's initial attack forced their opponent to his knees. But then something happened, something that neither Michael nor Seadramon had ever seen before.  
  
The digivolution of a wild digimon.  
  
"DarkTyrannomon digivolve too... MetalTyrannomon!"  
  
The massive Android type digimon stared down at his two foes, and in his eyes Michael saw his death. And for possibly only the secant time in his life, Michael knew true fear. A deep horrible fear, that seemed to gnawed at his gut.  
  
And then there was nothing but a horrible red light...  
  
*******  
  
Davis glanced down at his digivice once again. Their SEEMED to be a digi- egg right around here but he couldn't see the stupid thing. The rest of his group was scouring the zone around him, and non of them had been able to find it yet.  
  
He didn't really know what to expect. The digi-eggs of Faith, Honor, Kindness and Destiny...  
  
What would they do? Who would get them and just how powerful would they be? He had two experiences with the power of a golden digi-egg. Angewomon saying that she and Angemon weren't strong enough to take down Willis' corrupted partner had always sounded in his head.  
  
Had she mente that the golden armors were stronger then Mega? Or had she simply known that to win both Veemon and Terriermon would have to go inside that monstrosity to win? That the ability for Armor types to absorb more damage would be what it would take?  
  
He normally didn't think much, that was what Izzy and Cody and yes even Yolie were for. He made a plan and then made it work or, as was more then often the case, made something work without a plan in the first place. That was what he excelled at. He was a miracle worker, the winner of hopeless battles.  
  
As he took one last look around and then back at his digivice he came to the conclusion that this may well be yet another such battle. Both trying to find this elusive digimentel and figuring out this argument he was having with himself.  
  
Finely completely frustrated with, well everything. Tai leaving, Travis getting kidnapped, Kari... everything. He kicked a poor unoffending rock and nearly fell off the hill he was standing on as it glowed at him in response to this rather ungentle greeting.  
  
Blinking in surprise he looked into the hole that had been left behind once that said rock had shimmered out of existence. Sitting there, happy as you please, was a digi-egg. One with the crest of kindness sitting right on its top.  
  
Pulling out his D-terminal he quickly sent everybody notice of his discovery. Ken had first shot, but something, something deep in his gut, told him it was his for the tacking.  
  
And that is was part of something else. Something he that he couldn't help for feel he wasn't quite ready for. 


	28. E:D ch6

I still don't own it. Offer from last chap still stands. Here we go.  
  
Chapter 6.  
  
Tai was a wreck. He had left his sister, he had left his friends and his responsibilities, everything that mattered to him, but Agumon. Travis had been right, he was a cowered. But for probably the first time in his life he didn't care.  
  
He had gotten away from his pain for the first time in years. Yes he was running and yes he knew it was only a temporary fix but he didn't care. After living nearly four years of pure hell, any reprieve, even a temporary one, was a soothing balm.  
  
He had moved up from hell to an odd sort of emotionless purgatory. He was going through the acts of living. Eating, sleeping and breathing happened out of pure habit. With this first act of defiance towards the destiny that he had been thrust into he no longer had to live for someone else.  
  
Only to discover, to his shock, that he could find no real reason to live for himself.  
  
That caught him off guard. The idea of living for others seemed more like something that Joe would do, something that as much as he hated it, Sora had become. Not him, not wild and reckless Tai. How could it be that he would be the one who needed others?  
  
He stared up at the uncaring sky, a sky that had stars that were both familiar and disturbingly wrong at the same time. It was a sky that he had spent many a worried sleepless night beneath. Nights of fear, not so much for himself but for those that were in his care.  
  
He never wanted this, any of it. And he really couldn't help but hated this world almost as much as he loved it. Hated it for what it put him though, the choices he was forced to make and the danger it posed and poses still to his sister. But most of all he hated it for what it had taken away from him.  
  
Taken in the form of Sora.  
  
Had it not been for this world she would be his, and only his. Matt would never even known she existed, never would have talked to her, never would have been able to take her away from him.  
  
Sora had been his best friend since they were both four years old. They had done everything together. Matt and TK had been friends of theirs yes, but they lived on the other side of the complex and moved soon after the incident. He and Sora had stayed close, and would have kept going down that path to its natural conclusion had it not been for this damn world!  
  
'Why was fate so unfair?' he asked himself. This world they had been bought to save had forced all of them to do things that they never should be forced to do. He had killed, made life and death decisions and been all but a father at the age of twelve. All of that and the only thing he truly ever wanted from life he had lost.  
  
And with a sudden jolt he realized that she had found him. He could feel her presence. It was eerie but it was also something that had been part of his life for years. He felt calmer by simply by being near her. And he felt calmer now, much calmer.  
  
But it was only the calm before the storm.  
  
"Tai?" she asked in a slightly shaken voice. He could never deny her anything, and so he turned around.  
  
*******  
  
"Tai?"  
  
Matt blinked at that. He had been walking around in a daze for the most part. Sora hadn't even been looking at her Digivice to find Tai, she had merely started walking, at a pace that seemed altogether to fast to him, in the right direction and hadn't deviated since.  
  
It had been a bit spooky. She just simply *knew* where he was and headed there. A part of him wondered if she could do the same for him. Something told him she wouldn't be able to. And he felt a bit jealous of that fact, of the hold that Tai had over *his* girlfriend.  
  
'But for how much longer?' a small voice asked in the depths of his mind. And it was a good question he knew. Tai and Sora had a bond, would she still be his once she realized just what Tai tried so hard to keep hidden from her?  
  
Matt was far from stupid, which was not something he could say about his friend. Tai had been the one to let her get away, and then he had been the one to smile and tell her to go after a relationship with him. Tai had been the one who turned down Matt's offer to break up with Sora.  
  
Tai was the one who let go.  
  
And now because he ran Sora, *his* Sora, had come after him. He was here only at the insistence of his own younger brother, not because she asked him to come along. And even then it hadn't been his brother trying to do something nice for him. To let him spend some time alone with his girlfriend.  
  
No it had been because of a promise to Tai. Tai this, Tai that. Every thing was about Tai it seemed. And the worst part was the kid that his little brother was looking for, the one who should be with Patamon, was even trying to take Sora away from him.  
  
Take Sora away and give her to Tai. He hadn't missed Travis' remarks and he hadn't missed seeing everyone's reactions. He knew that Tai loved her, hell he even knew that she loved him. He just didn't care.  
  
People left and love, real love did nothing but hurt you. This was a lesson he had learned early in life. His mother left him; his father was never around. TK had been taken from him. Love hurt, so he didn't go looking for love.  
  
What he needed was a friend and Sora was just that. He didn't know why she had come to him and he still had no idea why Tai let her, but she was his now and he would be damned if he was going to let someone take her away from him as well.  
  
He was doing this for there own good. He truly thought he was. He knew that sooner or later they would have that one big fight and the next thing they knew they were living in sprit houses with the kids broken and bleeding on the inside thinking that it was their fault.  
  
It happened to him, after all. And it had happened to her.  
  
*******  
  
Beth bit off a curse. What the hell was Love doing here? She bit the inside of her cheek worriedly. Sora was the only thing that could keep Tai from coming to her. And she needed him right now.  
  
Once she had used him, she wouldn't care. He could stay by her side or he could go back to his precious Love and die like the rest, but right now she needed him or she would never reach the full existent of her power. And now that... that... cow of a tomboy could ruin everything!  
  
What could she do? There had to be some way to stop this. And Stop it quickly before one of them finally broke. Friendship had plenty of fear for her to use, but his fear would only make him argue that love only hurts people. Having the boyfriend shout out that he didn't love her, wouldn't be the best of things right now.  
  
So what of the two love birds? She was fearful of her own emotions. That was surprising. Did she know? And if so why hadn't she acted yet?  
  
And then there was Tai. There was no fear in him at all. No, no fear, but something else...  
  
"Sora." Was all he said, but there was enough ice in that word to freeze a lake. And she understood what he was feeling at that moment.  
  
Anger. Pure, unadulterated anger. Now if she could only figure out why...  
  
*******  
  
He said her name so coldly she wasn't even really sure it was him speaking. He never acted like that, not to her. She looked into his chocolate colored eyes and saw nothing but a blank onyx stare looking back at her.  
  
This wasn't Tai, not her Tai at any rate. As Travis' words floated back to her, she remembered what TK had said, something she had overlooked because of both his tone and Kari's reaction.  
  
'*You* mean more to him...' More then his little sister? That was impossible, wasn't it? Something in her wanted desperately to believe it wasn't. But those blank black eyes looking down at her all but shattered that pipe dream. And for some reason, that made her mad.  
  
"Damn it Tai, you're my best friend. Don't shut me out like this!" the words came before she even knew she was thinking them. But still that blank stare kept boring into her crimson eyes. And then he did something that was very un-Tai-like, he smirked. He didn't smile, he didn't give a lopsided grin, he just smirked. A cold, unfeeling little smirk. And then he spoke.  
  
"Why shouldn't I? You cut me off first." His gaze then flashed to Matt, "You both did." He did laugh then, a cold self-mocking chuckle. "I'm tired of being the third wheel, Sora. You have no idea how hard it is. Especially since I love one of the other two."  
  
There he had said it, oddly he didn't feel much of anything. It was over and he knew that. Now all he had to do was make a clean break of it before he collapsed and gave into this depression that had suddenly gotten him in a vice grip.  
  
"Do you know why I've held on this long Sora? Do you know why I put myself though the agony of seeing you two together, laughing and hugging all the while wishing it was me instead of him? Do you have any idea how much it hurts every time I see you two together?"  
  
His eyes were anything but dull now. They seemed to almost glow, she opened her mouth to respond but he simply barreled over her and kept on going.  
  
"I'll tell you why. That gods damned hair clip! The same stupid piece of plastic that kept you from helping against Diaboromon. That same stupid piece of plastic that led to an argument, an argument that I apologized for and first told you I loved you because of!"  
  
'Thanks to Kari's interference, but you don't need to know that...'  
  
Once again she tried to speak, and once again he cut her off. "That same hair clip you've been walking around with in your hair the whole damn time you've been dating him!" he emphasized *him* with a stabbing finger at Matt. "And let's not forget the fact that your digimon loves mine. Can't think of his" once again with the finger, " as anything more then a friend. And we both know damn well how close our digimon are to our souls!  
  
"Just get the hell out of my sight, both of you! I don't know what the hell Travis was thinking sending you two after me, but I can't take this anymore. So just LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!"  
  
And with that he stormed off, obvious to everything but his own pain and anguish. So he missed the quiet, "I know just how you feel Tai, I'm sorry." That was directed at his back. And he also missed her collapsing after he stomped off.  
  
Agumon was there though. He saw it all, including the end were Matt tried to comfort her and she pushed him away with a "You knew didn't you? You knew and you let me do this to him!" before she too ran, leaving Matt alone with three digimon and his own thoughts.  
  
The most prominent of which just happened to be, 'I knew it. Love never works, all it was put here to do was make out lives miserable.' He shook his head to clear it, not knowing what to do. His two best friends were both in pain and he didn't know which on to help first.  
  
His new D-3 chose that moment to beep at him before reciting Davis' message in its robotic voice. Had he not been so startled he never would have turned to look at it. And he would have missed the flash of red and green that moved on the hillside where Tai had gone. As it was, his curiosity was peeked.  
  
As it turned out, it's a good thing he is a wolf and not a cat... 


	29. E:D ch7

Sorry for taking so long with this chapter but I had the other story I just put up running thorough my head so I was working on that. Plus my game cube is working again and between that work and school I've had almost no time to just sit down and write for fun.  
  
I hate Sora and Tai fights, I really do. But it was the only way I could get them together like I prefer and still keep them in character from what they had become in 02. At lest from what I saw them as in 02.  
  
To everybody reading this, thank you. And I hope you enjoy it for a long time to come.  
  
-Flameraven.  
  
I own nothing involving Digimon except everything that someone else doesn't own.  
  
Chapter 7.  
  
Izzy blinked as his new D3 started talking to him. He really hadn't expected them to find a digimentel that fast. And that is was Ken's really surprised him. He would have thought it would have been Travis' first. Then Michael's. Following the pattern of that the weapons has shown up for their respective owners.  
  
In light of this new development though he had to revise that hypothesis. Perhaps it would go in the opposite direction? The first of get there egg would be the last to get there weapon. He would have to wait and see if Willis was the next to find his.  
  
He was still trying to figure out why Travis had brought them here. It was obvious that he knew much more the he was letting on. And if there was on thing that annoyed Izzy it was people purposely holding back useful information. He didn't understand why Travis would do something like that though.  
  
The more information they had the better prepared they would be to face it. And the more data he could find to use against it. Everything had a weakness, the trick was finding it in time. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to sort his thoughts and the next thing he knew he had walked right into a wall that hadn't been there just a moment before.  
  
He heard giggling behind him and turned quickly. Only to come face to face with amethyst colored eyes, and sandy-blond hair. The girl in front of him smiled impishly before running off into the maze he had found himself in. Calling over her shoulder that if he wanted some answers he would have to find her...  
  
*******  
  
Nikki lead the holder of knowledge on a marry chase of the better part of two hours. Reliability and sincerity had been looking for him, and only one of her illusions had finally made them leave the area enough for her to have a chance to talk to him undisturbed.  
  
And that was all she really wanted. She had questions and suspicions she needed to see if he had answers for. Besides...  
  
"I've got you. Now why did you bring me here?"  
  
She smiled at that, it just happened the be the perfect set up for what she needed to say. She was after all supposed to be his enemy. One does have to keep up appearances after all.  
  
"Just thought we should talk, you know. See if we could convince the other they are wrong and to come over to our side. The stereotypical cartoon and storybook thing."  
  
He looked so confused by that it was unbelievable. Had he truly spent that much time behind his computer that he had never seen a show like that? She had no chouse but to laugh. It was funny in a sense.  
  
And she hadn't been joking. She was going to give him a chance to join her side. She didn't have any delusions that he would take it, but the offer had to be made. She really didn't want to have to fight.  
  
Besides, he was kind of cute.  
  
"Its a standard theme in cartoons, one of the bad guys have has a change of heart because of something that one of the heroes says or does. I'm here to listen to your argument, and then make mine. Who knows I might get lucky."  
  
*******  
  
Izzy was a bit suppressed by that. The idea of switching sides in this war, or getting one of his opponents to change his, or her in this particular case, side was not something he had thought about.  
  
The kids that came after him where the ones that had to deal with that with Ken. His team had only had to deal with evil digimon. But now, now he had some inkling about just why Travis had held off in telling them about just who and what they would face.  
  
Had they known it was going to be other children there was a high likelihood that they would not have fought. But then there was what she said. The "good guys" in stories seem to get one of the "bad guys" so...  
  
"You wish to join us?" he said it in all seriousness, but her response what to simply laugh. He decided to take that as a no. "Your statement of the good guys saying or doing something that made one from the opposite side change for the better, did infer that you were willing to make such a change."  
  
"Oh?" came her response. "And are you so sure your one of the good guys in this conflict? Tell me something Mr. Izumi. I am imagination, is that evil?"  
  
He shook his head, a bit perplexed by her argument. No imagination wasn't evil, but neither was knowledge, or so he thought...  
  
"I'm glade we agree on that point. You my friend are much closer to being evil then I will ever be. Haven't you heard the old axiom, 'knowledge is power'? Of course you have, you're a well read young man aren't you?  
  
"Then perhaps you've heard another old cliché..." Her eyes locked with his, seeming to bore into his very soul, leaving him bereft of any and all protection. As he stood there naked under her intense scrutiny, he was almost freighted of what she might see. It was then, only then, that she passed her judgement upon him before fading away and taking the maze he had been following her around in with her. One small sentence that made him question a number of things about his life.  
  
"'Power corrupts.'"  
  
*******  
  
Mimi and Joe had been looking for Izzy for the better part of an hour now. They had last seen him about an half hour ago running off in an odd direction. Finally deciding that he must have found something of interest and he would call when they needed him the once again set out looking for Michael's signal.  
  
On their way they had received notice that both the digimentals of destiny and honor had been found, very surprising work for one day. Three new armor types, or so it was assumed. Also it seemed that Willis had found his weapon, 'the spear of destiny' a rather corny name in Mimi's opinion.  
  
Now all the remained was Travis' egg and Ken's weapon. Well that and getting the team back together again to face what ever it was that had taken Travis and Patamon. Joe and Mimi's side quest had hit a rather nasty snag though.  
  
Not only were they down a member but Michael's digivice wasn't giving off a steady signal. It seemed to be pulsing. Loosing and gaining strength sporadically. They headed towards were the signal was originating from, they picked up on Travis' as well. It was only moments after when they almost literally ran into two new teens.  
  
The introductions were short sweet and savage. And in a matter of moments Togemon and Ikkakumon were both on the field facing off against two other champion level digimon. MoriShellmon and... Ogermon. 


	30. E:D ch8

A/N: HOLY SHIT I UPDATED! Sorry to anyone who has been waiting for this for...um, I don't know, two months or something? I've been working on my other story and kinda got rapped up in it. I had to go back and reread everything I've done so far so I could remember just what the hell I was trying to do. Well here is the new chapter enjoy.  
  
I don't own anything to do with Digimon. Nor would I want too. I would never want my name attached to the 02 ending!  
  
Chapter 8  
  
A pair of deep brown eyes watched a young couple as they made their way towards the small outpost that he and his fellow negadestined had erected here on Server. The white Gatomon that was in the lead told the tail.  
  
They were hope and light, the owner of those dark eyes and his lady's counterparts. The small snake that had wound its way around the holder of Hope's arm was unexpected however, as far as he had known hope was partnered with a Patamon. Unsure of this substitution the boy watched, and waited. His chance to strike would come.  
  
*******  
  
As it was Kari and TK had no idea they were being watched. They were asking questions from Serpentmon. He was very wise, or so it seemed to them, he spoke of the first war, and of the fights that he and Travis had waged over the course of their lifetimes. The two teens began to understand that Travis had been in the digital world for most of their lives, and with how much of a time difference they vaguely remembered from their first time here they new that to be far longer then the 19 years he looked.  
  
That however brought up a question. How was it that he was only a rookie? Why wasn't he Balormon at all times? Gatomon had been the one to ask that question, only to have the snakes answer interrupted by her partners D- terminal. And the conversation was soon forgotten all together as the small white cat was knocked out cold by a sneak attack.  
  
A sneak attack from a face from TK's nightmares, a face that he had hoped to never see again. The face of Devimon. And he wasn't alone, their standing just below the viral type digimon stood a boy all in black. His dark brown eyes seemed to bore deep into TK soul, all of it, the good and the bad. The light and the dark. It was then that the digimon decided to speak, and his words brought scant comfort.  
  
"We meet again little one. I told your digimon that his sacrifice was all for nothing. I have returned, and you? You don't even have your partner any longer. But do not fret my old nemeses, I shall enjoy killing you as much now as I would have all those years ago."  
  
******* Ken stumbled his way to the hill that Davis was resting on. The digimentals of Kindness lie there, he had been surprised by its discovery so soon, and that surprise had only intensified as the other digimentals were also found in such a short time. This was going far to well for it to last. Or for it to not have some rather nasty hitch.  
  
The black headed young man crested the hill only to find his best-friend locked in mortal combat with the digimon under the control of another child. ExVeemon was fighting valiantly against the IceDevimon that had been set against it but was being beat back. Ken's hand reached for the half buried egg.  
  
At his touch a rich white light blasted up around him, infusing him. And suddenly, his crest began to glow. That part of him that had been missing for years had returned, he was whole once more, but his kindness wasn't that of a young child who did not know the horrors of this world or the real. And as such the one attacking his friend would not be privy to it.  
  
"Wormmon?"  
  
"Ready Ken." Was the reply the small digimon gave, and to that answer his partner only smiled. And then the sky light up.  
  
"Wormmon digivolve too, Stingmon! Stingmon digivolve too... DINOBEEMON!" And then the large odd looking viral type digimon took the fight to the one hurting his friend with an attack that lived up to its name. "Irritant Buzz!"  
  
And after that opening attack ExVeemon took a much needed brake. His partner's attention however was not on the fight, or on his weary digimon. No, Davis' eyes were only for the digimental that had, from the beginning, been calling to him, only now its call was a sirens song that he could no longer ignore. His hand touched it and it came loose just as his digimon reverted back to rookie.  
  
It was time.  
  
"Digi-armor energize!"  
  
"Veemon armor digivolve too..."  
  
*******  
  
Yolie spared Willis a glare, he was supposed to be trying to see if the digimental that corresponded with his crest would react to his touch, but he was too busy playing with his new spear instead. She could feel the veins popping out of her forehead as she valiantly fought her rising temper. She could hear him mumbling something to himself but she couldn't make it out.  
  
And to think she had thought he was cute at one time. As if! She was about ready to just try the damn this out herself and screw convention, the only ones it had ever worked for anywise when it worked in tandem to their crests were TK and Kari anywise so would it really matter?  
  
She had just reached her decision to just go for it, after all the worse thing that could happen was that it didn't budge right? When Willis flew out of no were and tackled her to the ground, the digitama mere inches away. Her squeak of protest was lost however in the rumble of the explosion that erupted just three feet away.  
  
As Willis rolled off her, Yolie's eyes widened as she took in the sight of her attackers. An Endigomon like Willis' and a type she had never seen before, but it looked a lot like a oddly shaped computer chip.  
  
Willis' sharp intake of breath, and a spat out name that sounded like "Chrysalimon!" seemed to imply he knew just what that thing was. And it conveyed the fact that he didn't like it much rather wall at the same time. The spear in his hands burned with a red fire, before it entered into his crest, infusing it with a slight red glow. His growled out "Lets do this." Was all the warning she had before both of his digimon joined the fray as champions.  
  
Their was but one difference in though. Willis' Endigomon wasn't Endigomon. Now it called itself Wendigomon and it took the fight to its dopelgamer.  
  
As the chaos rained down about that portion of the digital world, one young women's hand reached out for a small egg shaped object that bore the crest of destiny...  
  
*********  
  
Cody sighed just a bit as his crested one last hill. The digitama of honor should be around here somewhere and with out Michael for him to partner up with he had become separated from the group. Armadillomon was by his side but both of them were rather uncomfortable being out there on their own. But it needed to be done, and he was the reliable one of his group, so here they were.  
  
With no older Digidestined to hold him back Cody reached for the small egg the moment he found it. The red blast of light that engulfed him however he was far from prepared for. Their was such a sense that this light was just plane wrong that he almost let go. Right before it was to much for the boy to handle, the light turned in to a beautful green and his D-terminal started to glow... 


End file.
